Tales of Corazoria
by Wandergirl108
Summary: Sequel to Burn These Feelings. Human again at last, Velvet and Rokurou seek only to build a peaceful life together; but when their middle child develops an unquenchable thirst for malevolence, it falls to their eldest to quell his sister's rampage. In doing so, he will discover the true nature of malevolence itself. Post-Zestiria, rules over prologue. REWRITTEN!
1. Prologue: In This Place

***READ THIS* *IMPORTANT* This story is a sequel to another fic of the same crossover category titled "Burn These Feelings"; if you have not read "Burn These Feelings", this story WILL NOT make sense. Please note that "Burn These Feelings" is a much darker story than this one will be.**

**All ground rules for "Burn These Feelings" apply to this story as well, apart from the fifth - in summary, only things stated or alluded to IN THE GAMES is counted as canon, no external sources count, not even if it's the Word of God; Alisha's Story and the Anime are not counted as canon; I wrote a prequel-setup-thing to "Burn These Feelings" in the Berseria-only section of the site which is counted as canon; and Velvet is bi (which might not be relevant in this story but remains true for this fic series). The only ground rule I'm adding is that, when it comes to humans being reborn as seraphim, I'm taking the Berseria route, wherein they're not the exact same people they were as humans, whether they remember their old lives or not.**

**Also, WARNING: This prologue is LONG - like, Tales-of-Graces-childhood-arc-levels of long, if not longer. If you wish to skip the childhood arc, a summary detailing all the needed information will be provided at the bottom of this chapter for your convenience. Future chapters are of much more reasonable length.**

* * *

Edna followed Velvet and Rokurou out of Ladylake, relieved that she wouldn't have to sit around on the mountain where her brother's grave stood for the rest of the day, if nothing else. When the two humans turned east, however, she stopped.

"What are you doing?" she asked tonelessly. "There isn't anything that way."

"We built a home this way when we were daemons so our malevolence wouldn't cause trouble," Velvet explained. She smiled and added, "And now I can't convince Rokurou to part with it."

"No way could I part with it," Rokurou confirmed with a grin. "I built it myself with my own two blades, Rangetsu style!"

Velvet sighed, but there was fondness in her golden eyes as she looked at Rokurou, and it occurred to Edna exactly what she was walking into. _I may puke,_ she thought. "Let's get going, then," she said out loud.

They walked through the untamed woods for an hour, and Edna had started to wish she had a vessel that could carry her the rest of the way when they emerged into a large, clearly-unnatural clearing full of tree stumps. Across it, perched in a massive tree, was a shabby excuse for a shelter.

"You live in that?" she asked.

"It's humble, but it's home," Velvet said, though there was resignation in her voice.

"I can't believe anyone would be dumb enough to design a house so poorly," Edna stated. "How does that roof keep you dry when it rains?"

"Well…it doesn't," Rokurou admitted, frowning. "I can't figure out why."

"You really are stupid," Edna told him. "Roofs are slanted for a reason, you know: it helps keep the water out. Also roofs have shingles." She shrugged. "I've never lived among humans, and even I know that."

"How would shingles help?" Rokurou asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Think of it like scale armor," Velvet sighed, demonstrating with her hands. "One curved surface leads the blade or water to the next one, which leads it to the next, and so on, until it just slides off."

"Oh, I get it!" Rokurou exclaimed, his copper eyes lighting up. "I'll get on that right away!" And he charged for the box in the tree.

"Rokurou-"

"You can make dinner just fine on your own!" he called over his shoulder. "I'd only get in your way. Call me when it's ready!"

With that, he scaled a shoddy ladder hammered into the tree trunk, leapt onto the top of the box that Edna was genuinely surprised didn't collapse under his weight, and started throwing around loose planks and bundles of leaves that had been set on top of the treehouse.

"Is he always like this?" Edna asked Velvet.

"Yes," Velvet replied with a sad smile. "Rokurou is…a simple man."

"Well, this was interesting," Edna half-lied, turning her back. "Maybe I'll come visit sometimes, if I feel like it."

"Oh, Edna, won't you stay for dinner?" Velvet asked.

"Hey, don't go!" Rokurou called from on top of his treehouse. "You haven't lived until you've tasted my wife's cooking!"

"Wife, huh?" Edna asked, turning back around all the same. "I don't remember hearing anything about a wedding. That seems like something Lailah would tell me."

"We didn't really have a wedding," Velvet explained as she walked towards the tree with her groceries, and Edna followed, if only because she had nothing better to do. "We thought it might be difficult to convince a priest to bless our union, considering we were daemons just a few months ago…and our purification was such a spectacle."

"Blame Maotelus for that," Edna said dully.

"It is what it is," Velvet said. "But weddings weren't all that common in my home village of Aball, either." Around the back of the tree was a fire pit, surrounded by open space and then some stumps and logs set up as makeshift chairs; Velvet made for the large, cast-iron pot by the fire and a wide, flat stone. "We had an old tradition," she went on as Edna took a seat on a log, glad to rest her feet. "If a man wanted to marry a woman, he'd get a bloom of her favorite flower and leave it on her pillow. If the woman knew who left her the flower and agreed to the union, they were married enough for us."

"And what's your favorite flower?" Edna asked.

"Rokurou has no idea," Velvet chuckled. "He just went and bought the most exotic flower he could find being sold at the market when he picked up his special kimono order from the tailor. But just the fact that he took the hint when I told him about that old tradition was so sweet, I had to lie and say I liked it. Between you and me…" She winked and lowered her voice. "A simple red rose is my favorite."

Edna stared at Velvet while she started chopping some vegetables with an old-looking kitchen knife. "You were a lot less boring as a hellion," she informed the black-haired woman after a minute.

Velvet sighed heavily. "Only someone who gave up on the world a long time ago would say that," she said.

"And so what if I have?" Edna asked. "My brother's dead. Humans are stupid. Zaveid and Mikleo are always off on some adventure or other, and Lailah's always so chipper it makes me want to gag."

"Hm." Were those tears in Velvet's eyes?

"And then there's you," Edna went on. "You're offering me a home here, but you know you're human now, right?"

"Yes…"

"You're only going to live a few decades at the most," Edna said. "Even if I did stay with you and whatshisname, you'll both be gone in what might as well be the blink of an eye to a seraph as old as me. Why are you trying to give me a home you know you'll just take away pretty soon?"

As Velvet stood up with a bucket, presumably to get some water from the stream Edna heard nearby, she looked up at the treehouse roof where Rokurou was doing who-knew-what. "I might not live very long in your eyes," she said softly, "but my family won't die with me." And she put a hand to her stomach.

Edna stared. Thought. Then blinked. "Oh," she said tonelessly. "…Does he know?"

"Not yet," Velvet admitted. "I…I can't decide how to tell him."

"You should probably get it over with, the sooner the better," Edna remarked. "And don't human babies grow inside their mothers for a while, until they get so big everyone can tell just by looking at her? You won't be able to hide it forever."

"Yes, you're right, Edna," Velvet sighed. "You're right, but Rokurou…" She shook her head, then left with the bucket.

The conversation didn't continue as Velvet started a fire, boiled the water and some minced onion, then began stirring in meat and vegetables until a thick stew was bubbling. Night fell, and Edna watched wordlessly. Not having to listen to Velvet's new human whininess was nice…as was not being entirely alone. Though she slightly hated herself for it, Edna couldn't muster any desire to leave, at least not yet.

"Rokurou!" Velvet eventually called, stepping back from the pot she'd been stirring slowly for over an hour. "Dinner's ready!"

All the noises from on top of the treehouse ceased immediately, and Rokurou actually jumped down from his perch with a summersault.

"Show-off," Edna muttered.

"Alright!" Rokurou grinned. "I'm glad Edna's here; now we can finally settle this!"

"Settle what?" Edna asked coldly.

"Velvet thinks I'll happily eat anything, so she won't take any of my compliments when it comes to her cooking," Rokurou explained, taking a bowl of stew and handing it to her. "But you're a completely impartial judge! She'll have no choice but to listen to you!"

Unsure how to respond, Edna took the steaming bowl with a complimentary glare at her host. As Rokurou sat down beside Velvet, Edna lifted a spoonful of the concoction and appraised it in the firelight. It didn't look particularly special - it would be difficult to top Drago stew - and she'd watched Velvet make it from scratch, so there weren't any secret ingredients either. Sighing inwardly, she put the spoon in her mouth.

Flavor exploded on Edna's tongue in a glorious melody, rich meat singing through her mouth as tomatoes and other vegetables played a sweet symphony, all underlined by a steady, salty beat. Each chew made the music swell and flow, there was a final crescendo as she swallowed, and then there were only the echoes of the ending notes.

Opening her eyes, unsure when she'd closed them, Edna looked across the fire at the human who had crafted such a masterpiece.

"Well?" Rokurou asked with a smirk.

Edna didn't reply, instead eating another spoonful of stew. It was the same experience as the first…as was the third spoonful…and the fourth…and the fifth…

Suddenly, Edna's bowl was empty. She blinked; she'd been enjoying the food so much that she hadn't noticed she was getting low. It took her a few moments to collect herself and set the bowl aside, but when she spoke, she managed to keep her voice toneless.

"Wow," she said. "This might actually be the most delicious thing I've ever tasted in my life. If I hadn't watched you make it, I would assume several seraphic artes were involved in its preparation. Ninety-nine points out of a hundred."

"Ninety-nine?!" Rokurou exclaimed.

"Stew isn't my favorite food in the world," Edna shrugged. "Take away my personal biases and it would be more like a hundred and five out of a hundred."

"Hell yeah!" Rokurou grinned, looking sidelong at his wife. "See, Velvet? I told you. You're an incredible cook."

"I…I'm glad you liked it, Edna," Velvet managed, smiling through her blush.

"Indeed," Edna responded. "I would love to have more, but you should probably eat the rest. You know…considering."

"Considering what?" Rokurou asked through a mouthful of stew as Velvet winced.

"There's more than enough for all of us to have seconds and then some," Velvet pointed out, evading the question.

_Jeez, what's wrong with her?_ Edna thought. _I set the conversation up perfectly. Why won't she just spill it?_ "I'll pass," she said. "It's unladylike to have seconds anyway."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Velvet told her with a smile, and she actually stood up to take Edna's bowl and ladle more stew into it before handing it back to her.

"Well," Edna said slowly, staring at the food that had been shoved into her hand, "if you insist, I guess. It would be rude to return it now."

Though the second bowlful of stew was possibly even more delicious than the first, Edna was careful to put her bowl down upside-down in the dirt so Velvet wouldn't get any ideas about forcing a third helping on her. Rokurou ate three bowls, and Velvet had four.

"That was delicious," Edna said as Velvet finally stood up to gather the dirty dishes. "But now that we've all eaten…" She turned her eyes on Rokurou. "Sword-brain, Velvet has something she needs to tell you."

"Edna!" Velvet squeaked.

"It wasn't like you were going to get around to it on your own," Edna shrugged.

"What's going on?" Rokurou asked.

"Er…" Velvet stammered, and she started backing away from her husband.

"Uh-uh." Edna tapped her boot on the ground, and a stone pillar erupted behind Velvet's back, blocking her off. "You're not getting out of this."

"What's going on?" Rokurou repeated, his expression growing grave as he stood from his seat. "Is there something I should be worried about?" The hand that was sheathed in some sort of loosely-guarded gauntlet went to the sword handles poking over his shoulder.

"No, it's…no…" Velvet managed to say.

"Spit it out," Edna told her dully. "Come on, you don't have all night."

"I…" Velvet shook herself all over, then took a deep breath and sighed. "Rokurou," she said evenly. "I…I am…with child."

Rokurou blinked. "Uh…what do you mean?"

"And I thought Sorey was class valedictorian of Dum-Dum Academy," Edna muttered.

"We…We're going to have a baby," Velvet explained hesitantly.

"Oh." Rokurou blinked again…and then a huge grin split his face. Laughing with triumph, he ran to Velvet, picked her up in his arms, and spun her around. "That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I'm so happy! Oh, but-!" Quickly, he set his wife down, pushing her to sit on a tree stump. "You shouldn't be working so hard if you're pregnant, Velvet," he told her. "No cooking, no shopping…you shouldn't even climb up to the treehouse. Damn, I didn't think of that…"

"I can take care of myself, Rokurou," Velvet said, not quite indignantly, as she stood up.

"Not while you're carrying a baby," Rokurou said sternly. "Us Rangetsus learned long ago that a pregnant woman shouldn't be put through the stress of battle, not even if she's Shigure."

Velvet flinched, and Edna's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stared at the expecting woman. _Something's not right here…_

"_I_ will take care of you," Rokurou went on, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You need to rest so our child can be born. Don't worry," he added, his tone lightening, "I promise I'll protect you - both you and our little Shigure."

A strangled cry worked its way out of Velvet's throat, and she turned away from her husband and retreated a few steps into the dark clearing.

"Uh…" Rokurou stared, as Edna watched warily. "What's wrong? What did I say?"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Velvet said, so softly Edna could barely make her out.

"Huh?"

"Rokurou…" Velvet said slowly, carefully. "I know…things in your family were…complicated. More complicated than I'll ever understand. And that you loved each other, in your own way. But even knowing that…I…I can't let my child be raised like you were."

"But-!" Rokurou began, alarmed.

"I just can't," Velvet insisted, her back still turned. "Living to do nothing but fight, their only aspiration to die an honorable death? That's no life for any child of mine, and I can't let you raise our baby to revive all your family's old traditions. I want our child to choose what they want to do in life, whether it involves fighting or not…and I don't want my child to kill my best friend, my home. I couldn't bear that. I'm sorry, Rokurou, but I can't let our child become a new Shigure."

All of this seemed entirely reasonable to Edna, but Rokurou looked devastated. "Velvet…" he choked.

"I'm sorry!" Velvet sobbed, still not looking at him. "I'm sorry, Rokurou, I know you've been carrying the Rangetsu name by yourself for so long and you want someone else to pass the burden on to-"

"I-!"

"-but I can't let that someone be my child. I just can't. After all the fighting, all the death…all the loss, all the pain…I want our family to live a peaceful life. No more killing. No more dying. Please, Rokurou, please understand, I can't help you rebuild the Rangetsu clan. I'm sorry."

Silence stretched across the clearing for a long minute, save the singing of the nighttime insects; Edna kept silent, realizing she'd stepped into something much more complicated than she would ever understand. After several minutes, though, things were getting ridiculous, and she opened her mouth to tell Rokurou he was being stupid. Just before she could, however, the swordsman gave a heavy, world-weary sigh.

"I understand," he said.

"Huh?" Velvet turned around at last, her eyes wide.

"My clan…self-destructed long ago," Rokurou said slowly, the pain in his voice hidden very poorly. "Our benefactors are gone, we have no one left to fight for. And…I know I could never ask you to live like that. So I'll…" He sighed again, even more heavily if that was possible. "I'll…do my best to live your way. You might have to help me out, but…I'll try. For you, Velvet."

"Rokurou…" Velvet breathed, her eyes shining. "You really…?"

"Besides, it takes a whole family to raise a child to be a Rangetsu," Rokurou went on, his carefree tone not fooling anyone. "You wouldn't let it happen if I tried, and Edna will be around to keep me in check as well. I probably couldn't raise the kid to kill me even if I wanted to."

"Are you saying…you don't want to?" Velvet asked, stepping closer to him.

"Well, part of me does," Rokurou admitted. "But the rest of me realizes that that's just the part of me that doesn't want to let go of old traditions. And hey, if I never let go of my old ways, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

Even Edna could tell that, despite his lighthearted voice, this was a tremendous sacrifice for him for some reason. Velvet clearly knew it too, and she cried out wordlessly as tears streamed down her face before hurling herself at her husband and throwing her arms around him. Edna lowered her umbrella so the two could have some privacy. _What a weirdo,_ she thought. _What kind of crappy, messed-up family did he come from?_

Whatever the case, it was a good thing she'd made Velvet tell Rokurou sooner rather than later - clearly, this conversation was one that had needed to happen yesterday. Satisfied with her good deed, Edna stood up after the gross noises ended and turned to go.

"Congratulations," she told them both tonelessly. "Good for you and all that. I'm going back to Rayfalke now."

"You won't stay with us?" Velvet asked.

"I would never stoop so low as to live in a miserable box like that," Edna huffed, waving a hand at the treehouse. "I am a lady, and I will be accommodated as such or not at all. Besides, do you think I want to listen to you two all night?"

Velvet flushed deeply enough to be seen in the moonlight, and Rokurou stepped forward. "I bet I could whip up a room for you," he said with a smirk.

"Oh really? You think you can provide a lady with proper lodgings?" Edna asked cynically. "Very well then. I want my own room, half the size of this clearing, with a four-poster bed, silk sheets, and lace curtains. Two dressers and one full-sized wardrobe, all small enough that I can reach the highest shelves on my own; a mirror, positioned at my head-height - made of glass, no polished-metal stepdowns - and a plush cushioned seat I can sit at while still looking at my reflection. My own washroom, for privacy, with direct access to the stream I hear running nearby so I can bathe at my leisure. Oh, and a dirt floor - no flooring, no foundation, no carpet."

"A dirt floor?" Rokurou asked, blinking.

"Of course," Edna said. "I'm an earth seraph. Earth seraphim don't live in trees or high-rise apartments."

"…Right," Rokurou said slowly. "Uh…yeah, no problem. I bet I could manage that easily."

"If you make something that stands up for more than five seconds, I'll be impressed," Edna stated. "Have fun with that. Good night."

"Don't underestimate Rokurou," Velvet told Edna as she walked past; "I thought the same thing when he said he wanted to build a treehouse by himself."

"Whatever," Edna tossed over her shoulder.

"Good night!" Velvet called after her. "Thank you for visiting!"

"Yeah, yeah," Edna muttered.

Despite her bitterness, Edna couldn't muster any regret for the visit. _Maybe I really will visit sometimes._

~X~

A couple of weeks passed, and Edna did stop by Velvet and Rokurou's place on the way back from check-ins with Lailah every few days. Rokurou was surprisingly dutiful, both in his caretaking of his pregnant wife and his job as architect of Edna's new room - in addition to actually working on building Edna's room to her specifications, he also insisted on cooking dinner more often than not. His stir-fry and sashimi were perfectly edible, but cut much too finely for Edna's taste; he was surprisingly creative with getting Edna's room to work just right despite the lack of a foundation, and he took her constant corrections in stride, as though setbacks were welcome challenges. It was an amusing pastime, if nothing else, and after a few visits, Edna had actually learned his name.

Then the anniversary of her brother's death dawned.

Edna visited her brother's grave often, since she lived right next to it, but today, she wouldn't check in with Lailah; it was a day to sit with her brother and talk to him. If she did it more than once a year, she'd crumble like sand, but this one day…she had to. Zaveid would join in before too long anyway - after a century had passed with them both finding themselves at the grave every anniversary, it had become a tradition, for both of them.

"Hey, Eizen," Edna muttered, sitting down at the stone surrounded by trinkets and old flowers. "I didn't bring you anything today…just a funny story."

She paused, pretending Eizen was responding, asking what story she might have to tell.

"So…you remember that old friend of yours I told you about a few hundred years ago? The hellion with the swords?"

From there, Edna passed the day by telling the whole story, pausing every now and then to pretend her brother was listening. It was sad, she knew it was, but she couldn't help it. After the part where Maotelus purified and preserved both Velvet and Rokurou, she took a long breath.

All was silent, save for the wind that always blew so high up. _Zaveid's late, _she thought distantly.

"I ran into them again a couple of weeks ago," Edna continued at last. "They…they're married now. Kind of. They're going to have a baby and everything. And…they want me to live with them."

Wind, and nothing.

"Velvet said she wants me to have a home," Edna went on. "She didn't say she thought you'd want them to take care of me now that they're not malevolent anymore, but I know that's what she means." She sighed. "I don't need to be taken care of…but…"

Still silence, but Edna could hear the echoes of her brother fussing over her.

"Velvet's a great cook," Edna admitted. "And Rokurou…is interesting, I guess. Kind of dumb, but fun to toy with."

Beneath her, Edna thought she felt the ground shake a little.

"They were your family," Edna said softly. "Weren't they? You lived with them, more than you did even with me. You traveled with them, fought with them…they were family to you. And that means…they're my family, too."

Another rumble, so slight Edna wasn't sure she didn't imagine it.

"I understand." Edna stood up, opening her umbrella. "I'll go, Eizen. We'll remember you together…We'll be a happy family. I'll get on it now."

Silence. Stillness.

"I love you, Eizen," Edna whispered into the wind.

A single stone fell from the nearby cliff. It was all Edna needed; she turned and walked away.

On the way down, she was so lost in thought, in memory, that she almost walked headfirst into Zaveid.

"Whoa, hey!" the wind seraph exclaimed. "Isn't it kind of early to be leaving? I'm sorry I was late, I was all the way-"

"I don't care," Edna interrupted. "Go say your piece to Eizen, I have somewhere to be."

"Somewhere to be?" Zaveid repeated. "Today?"

"It's none of your business," Edna stated, stepping past him…and stumbling slightly as a pebble came loose underfoot.

"You okay?" Zaveid asked.

Edna sighed. "Why don't you come with me?" she asked. "I'm sure there's room for one more at the table."

"Oh ho?" Zaveid asked, smirking. "Are you-?"

"I'm not asking you out," Edna told him sharply. "But…I think Eizen would want you to join us. Especially today."

"Us?"

"Just follow me, idiot," Edna grumbled, and she kept walking.

"Uh…"

_Don't follow me. Don't follow me. Don't follow me…_

"Hey, wait up!" came the shout from behind her as she reached the base of Rayfalke Spiritcrest. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

"Great," Edna muttered, but in her heart, she knew it was what Eizen would have wanted. If anyone was Eizen's family besides her, it was Zaveid. "Come on, then. This way."

It was late afternoon when they passed Ladylake, and Zaveid stalled, just as Edna had.

"Where're you taking me?" he asked, folding his arms. "There's nothing but trees this way."

"Not anymore," Edna responded. "Come on, you'll see."

Praying he wouldn't listen, Edna kept walking to where Velvet and Rokurou lived. Sadly, Zaveid did follow. It was almost as though there was some degree of trust between them.

Dusk fell by the time they finally reached the clearing in front of the Rangetsu-Crowes' house. Even from a distance, Edna could see Rokurou fussing over his wife as she pleaded with him for a chance to make dinner.

"Hey!" Edna called.

Both humans looked up, and smiled brightly when they saw her. "Edna!" Velvet exclaimed, jogging out from under the treehouse, as Rokurou took the opportunity to start chopping vegetables. "It's good to see you!"

"I brought a friend," Edna said dispassionately. "You know Zaveid, so I figured he'd be allowed to join the party."

"Zaveid?" Velvet looked up, and saw the wind seraph approaching confidently. "Zaveid! Of course you're welcome here!"

"Velvet," Zaveid greeted warmly. "You're still living out here, I see. Good to see ya." His smile twisted nastily. "Kinda hard to recognize you without that strappy getup, but even in the plainest clothes, you're as gorgeous as ever."

Edna jabbed him in the side with her umbrella. "She's pregnant, idiot," she grumbled at him.

"Oh?" Zaveid blinked, then grinned. "Well, congratulations! And that doesn't bother me, I'm open-minde-_OW_!"

"Shut up," Edna snapped, withdrawing her umbrella from her sharp stab in Zaveid's gut. "Behave for once."

"Edna, that's quite enough," Velvet said gently. "You've made your point." She turned a radiant smile on Zaveid. "I didn't know you two were close."

"I forgave him for using my brother's likeness without my permission," Edna shrugged.

"Yeah, after you sealed me in stone for, what, three days?" Zaveid grumbled, though his lips were still quirked up in a smile.

"You deserved it."

"Can't argue with ya there." Zaveid turned his smile on Velvet. "As for us…well, we meet up at Eizen's grave on the anniversary of his death every year, it's kind of a tradition at this point. But this year, Edna wanted to bring me here instead. I didn't know you two were friends."

"We've met," Edna stated flatly.

"Yeah, Edna…Wait. The anniversary of…? Is that what today is?" Velvet gasped.

Zaveid's smile faded. "You didn't know?"

"How could she know?" Edna asked pointedly.

"I'm so sorry," Velvet said, and she turned and all but stomped over to her husband. "Rokurou, please, let me make dinner tonight."

"It's fine, I've got it," Rokurou insisted as Edna and Zaveid drew near.

"Rokurou…Today's the anniversary of Eizen's death," Velvet sighed. "Zaveid's joining us, as well as Edna. Please, let me make something. I promise I won't overwork myself."

Slowly, Rokurou stood, his copper eyes on their two seraphim guests. "Anniversary, huh?" he muttered. With a sigh, he folded his arms. "All right," he said. "I've already chopped the vegetables, and I'll get the water; you can make your special stew."

"Aw, sweet, I get to taste Velvet Crowe's legendary cooking?!" Zaveid exclaimed. "Awesome! Edna, babe, I owe ya one!"

"Legendary?" Edna asked.

"Hell yeah! Eizen would always talk about her culinary mastery whenever we ate together, and you've heard Maotelus's stories more times than I have, I'm sure!" Zaveid grinned. "Time to put them to the test for myself!"

"I'll do my best not to disappoint," Velvet promised as Rokurou headed for the stream with a bucket and she picked up the knife he'd set down.

"You sound like Alisha, all humble and withdrawn. 'Oh, I shall do my very best, I promise!'" Edna mocked. "'It's not much from little old me, but my life's mission is to not let anyone down if I can help it!' Seriously, quit it, it's annoying as hell," she told Velvet, dropping the fake voice. "You're a goddess in the kitchen. Own it, so we can all move on with our lives."

"Edna…" Velvet looked away, her eyes glistening.

"Like I've said before, you were a lot less boring as a hellion," Edna continued, sitting down in her favorite seat. "Much more realistic. And the reality is that even the simplest of your dishes is a culinary masterpiece that puts royal banquets to shame."

"Please stop," Velvet said softly. "Please."

"Let the lady work," Zaveid joined in, sitting down, irritatingly, on the other end of the log Edna always sat on; mercifully, it was a decently-long log. "All that negativity might sink into the food!"

"Whatever," Edna grumbled.

Despite her grouchiness, Edna's mouth watered as Velvet started boiling the water with minced onion before preparing the other ingredients and stirring them in. Only one time besides her first visit had she been allowed to taste food prepared by Velvet, and though it had only been because Rokurou refused to even try when it came to quiches, she had never been disappointed by Velvet's culinary artistry. She had never really thought much of quiche, or even stew, before tasting those cooked by Velvet; now, she never wanted to eat anything else.

At last, long after night fell, the food was ready, and Rokurou managed to dig up a fourth bowl for Zaveid while grabbing a jug of sake. After the two men shared a toast to Eizen's memory and Velvet and Edna rolled their eyes at each other, the four finally dug in.

Though she'd managed to get used to the spellbinding effect of Velvet's food, Edna still refrained from taking a bite until she got a chance to see Zaveid's expression when the stew hit his tongue. As expected, he made a surprised groan of delight, his eyes rolling back dramatically.

"This," he declared once he'd swallowed, "is by far the finest delicacy I have ever had the honor of sampling in all my centuries on this earth! Oh, what did I ever do in life to be worthy of such succulence?"

"I'm…glad you like it…" Velvet managed, her face red.

"Like it?!" Zaveid exclaimed. "Velvet, babe, royalty haven't tasted half such delicious food! Even the gods themselves would be brought to their knees at the merest sample of such splendor!"

"Stop it, I'm nothing compared to my sister!" Velvet blurted out.

Edna blinked. _That's what her problem is? Really?_

"Sweetheart," Zaveid sighed, "unless your sister turned every ingredient she touched into ambrosia straight from the Heavenly Realm and her meals instantly cured any ailment ever recorded and gave men enough sustenance for three days with a single bite, I find that extremely hard to believe."

"Agreed," Edna added. "It even merits the overly dramatic poetry Zaveid spouts sometimes, and I never thought I'd say that about anything. So please, stop thinking about your sister and accept that you are a master chef."

"I…Everything I know about cooking, I learned from my sister," Velvet said softly. "I only ever try to make things the way she would."

"And I'm sure she'd be very proud of you," Edna said dully. "But let it go, alright? The people you cook for enjoy your cooking, it's not like she'd expect you to tell us we're wrong."

"I…" Velvet sighed again, then smiled. "You're right. If you like the food, who am I to argue with you? I'll stop."

"I'm glad to hear it," Edna stated.

"Hey, me too!" Zaveid said brightly. "More importantly, Edna, babe, we've found something you'll readily agree with me on. Maybe-"

"Shut up," Edna snapped, jabbing him with her umbrella. "I'm not going out with you."

"Aw, come on, baby-" Zaveid began.

"Zaveid!"

Edna and Zaveid turned to Velvet, whose golden eyes were ablaze as she glared at the wind seraph.

"Even if you're joking, you're taking this too far," she told him. "Edna's only a-"

"A what?" Edna asked coldly.

Velvet's mouth snapped shut as Edna stood up, brandishing her umbrella.

"What am I?" Edna asked. "A child? Is that what you were going to say?"

"Er…"

"I was centuries old before you were even born," Edna said, "and unlike you, I've spent the last fifteen hundred years living in the real world. If anyone here is too young for him to be flirting with, it's you. The only reason I haven't aged beyond this is because if I got any older, I wouldn't fit in the boots my brother made for me anymore."

"Wait, you can choose to age?" Rokurou asked, surprised.

"Since we seraphim aren't made of flesh and bone, the mind controls the body," Zaveid informed Rokurou. "More importantly…Edna, darling, why didn't you say something sooner? I'd be more than happy to-_ow_!"

"Why do you think I didn't say anything, numbskull?" Edna grumbled, taking back her umbrella after giving him a sharp jab in the side. "I didn't want to put any ideas in your head."

"Edna…" Velvet smiled patiently at the small seraph. "One woman to another…you're giving very mixed signals."

Edna sighed. "I have no objection to getting attention from men," she said, sitting back down. "What I _don't_ want is attention from _this_ pervert; I don't know how you put up with it. Don't you know what a dirtbag he is? Zaveid's been known to flirt with anything remotely female that crosses his path, even if it's a hellion."

"Come on, baby, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Zaveid asked.

"Are you saying you _haven't_ flirted with a hellion?" Edna countered.

"Well…" Zaveid smirked and tilted his hat. "Define flirting."

"I rest my case," Edna stated. "No self-respecting lady would want to have anything to do with such a man."

"Ouch," Zaveid remarked. "That hurts, sweetheart."

"Edna…" Edna looked up and was surprised to see Velvet smiling at her. "Zaveid's always been a jokester. Do you think maybe you're taking him a little too seriously?"

Edna blinked. The possibility that Zaveid might not actually mean all the nasty stuff he said had never occurred to her before. She considered rethinking her perception of him for a moment…

And then she remembered.

"I might," she scowled, "if his actions didn't back up his words. Go on," she added to Zaveid, poking his arm with her umbrella. "Tell Velvet and Rokurou all about the time you used your seraphic powers to spy on me, Lailah, and Rose in the sauna."

"Oh come on, that was centuries ago!" Zaveid cried. "You can't still hold that against me!"

"I can and I do," Edna said, picking up her bowl and taking a bite of stew.

"Zaveid…" Velvet's eyes were wide. "You…you wouldn't…"

"I mean…" Zaveid shifted uncomfortably, and Edna smiled. "I…I didn't _succeed_…"

"Only because Lailah burned your winds away," Edna said pointedly.

At this, Zaveid cringed, hard.

Velvet pulled back in her seat, folding her arms uncomfortably, and Rokurou put a hand to the sword hilts poking out from over his shoulder. "Don't try anything like that around my wife if you want to keep your head," the swordsman said dangerously. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Honestly, Zaveid, I never would have expected that kind of behavior from you. Especially since, when we first met you, all you could think about was-_AAGH_!"

"Don't. Say. Another. Word," Zaveid ground out through clenched teeth; one upraised fist was closed tight over the pendulum he had just used to whack Rokurou across the face.

As Rokurou rubbed his bruised jaw, Edna stared at Zaveid. The wind seraph's red-brown eyes were blazing with more intensity than she had ever seen in them before, even in battle. Even in the dim light of a lantern and the campfire, she could see that the knuckles clenching his pendulum were white despite his tanned skin, and…was he shaking? It was hard to tell, maybe it was a trick of the firelight, but it looked like he might be shaking…

"Oh…"

At Velvet's soft sigh, Edna turned, and was surprised to see the woman's golden eyes brimming with sadness.

"Zaveid…it's been so many centuries," she said gently. "Do you still miss her?"

Sharply, Edna turned back to Zaveid. "_Her_?" she asked.

"Damn it, Velvet!" Zaveid shouted, and he turned around in his seat so his back was to all of them, hunching over and hiding even the back of his head.

"What is she talking about?" Edna pressed. When Zaveid didn't respond, she poked him in the back with her umbrella a few times. "Come on, tell me. You're not weaseling your way out of this one."

Still nothing.

"…Fine, don't tell me," Edna said at last, and she turned to her human hosts. "I'm sure Velvet and Rokurou will be more than happy to fill me in on all the details."

But Velvet shook her head. "It's not our story to tell, Edna," she said firmly.

"Just tell her."

Velvet looked at Zaveid's back. "But Zaveid-"

"Tell her," he repeated in a low voice. "She won't stop asking until you do."

"Not without your consent," Velvet insisted.

"Just tell her!" he barked. "Get it over with!" Was that a sob at the end of his voice?

Velvet sighed, and Edna turned very curious eyes on her. "All right then," the woman conceded. "Edna…Do you remember the Opening, a little over fifteen hundred years ago, and the Advent seven years later?"

"I wasn't around any earth-dwellers, but my brother sent me letters," Edna answered. "The Opening was when all humans were suddenly able to see hellions, right? And the Advent was when all humans were able to see seraphim…malakhim, then."

"Yes," Velvet confirmed. "Well, around that time, Zaveid…had a girlfriend."

"Oh, this should be good," Edna smirked.

"I'm not going to tell this story if you're going to make smart remarks the whole way through!" Velvet snapped, her tone surprisingly sharp.

"Fine, sheesh," Edna shrugged.

"Anyway, Zaveid had a girlfriend," Velvet went on.

"What was her name again?" Rokurou piped up. "It was…Th…The…Theo…Thelonia…or something-?"

"_Theodora_," Zaveid growled harshly, as though the word was painful to speak aloud. "Her name was Theodora."

"Oh yeah, that was it," Rokurou said.

"Yes, Theodora," Velvet continued. "She and Zaveid were living together around the time of the Opening, and the Opening…well, you recently saw firsthand what happens when all humans can suddenly see daemons - hellions. It's chaos. Lives are ruined, homes are destroyed, families are torn apart…children are orphaned. Especially without a Shepherd to quell all the mayhem. So, when the Advent dawned, and humans were able to see malakhim as well, Zaveid and Theodora took in some of those orphaned kids."

Slowly, Edna felt the smirk slide off her face. This did not at all seem to be going the direction she had expected.

"Those kids loved Zaveid and Theodora both - we met them during our travels," Velvet told Edna. "But even despite that, to lose everything they had once known at such a young age…they couldn't help generating malevolence, even despite their love for their foster family. The calamity was so hard on them, nothing could be done for it. And by the time we met Zaveid, Theodora had…succumbed."

Edna gasped in horror. "You mean she-?"

"The first time we met Theodora, she was already a dragon," Rokurou confirmed. "A white-horned dragon, in fact…still not sure what that means, really. But Zaveid and Eizen already had this weird bond over trying to find the pirate captain, Aifread, so when we found the dragon and Zaveid stepped in to defend her with his life, even as she attacked him, Eizen got this weird obsession with getting Zaveid to understand that she was gone, that there was no way to save her."

Ice flooded Edna's seraphic veins, as she remembered her own time trying to heal her corrupted brother, all in vain…

"Eventually, when Theodora attacked Laphicet - Maotelus, who was only ten years old then - Eizen managed to get Zaveid to see reason," Rokurou finished, "and he stood aside as Eizen…killed her."

"During our travels, we found out that eating the heart of a white-horned dragon would break a malak's blessing," Velvet added, "and that could have meant that Eizen could break his Reaper's Curse…but out of respect for Zaveid, he didn't. He just killed her."

"So he could have broken his curse?" Edna asked. "He could have-?"

"Edna, you watched Sorey kill Eizen, didn't you?" Velvet asked, her tone grave. "You were there…even helped, maybe. Imagine if, after beating him into submission, you had to stand there and watch as Sorey ripped out your brother's heart and ate it right in front of you."

A tortured squeak was the only sound Edna could force out of her throat.

"Eizen couldn't do that to Zaveid," Velvet told her, "any more than Sorey could do that to you. Killing her was bad enough. It was necessary, but even so…"

Something clicked in Edna's head, and she turned to Zaveid. "That's what you had to settle with my brother," she said tonelessly; it wasn't a question.

"I told him I'd kill him," Zaveid said in a low voice. "Swore that I would kill him…but only when he stopped being himself. That's when he told me he wanted me to do it, made me _promise_ I would do it, so you wouldn't suffer. Funny how that made us such close friends."

To think that Zaveid truly understood what Edna had gone through was incomprehensible. Zaveid didn't care about people like that, surely. "Theodora…must have been the kind of girl who didn't mind you stepping out on her every few days," she said slowly.

"I wasn't unfaithful to Theodora a single day in her life!" Zaveid snapped angrily, not quite turning around. He hesitated, then added, "And for the record, she thought my jokes were adorable!"

Edna opened her mouth to say something about poor taste…then closed it. Now was not the time for smart remarks. And yet she couldn't think of Zaveid as caring about someone like that, it just wasn't like him. Theodora must have been a passing fancy, that was all…and yet…and yet the tense muscles along his exposed back told a different story…

"…Tell me about her," Edna said at last.

Silence.

"Theodora," Edna pressed. "Tell me about her. What was she like? I'm curious."

"Edna," Velvet began, but Rokurou put a hand on her arm and shook his head at her wordlessly.

All was still for a long minute.

"Go on," Edna insisted. "I want to know what kind of person she was. Tell me."

At last, Zaveid gave a heavy sigh. "Theodora…was…" he began hoarsely, and he shook his head with a mirthless chuckle. "To call her nice wouldn't begin to do it justice. Theodora…_loved_. She loved life, she loved being alive and she loved everything that lived. Everywhere she looked, she saw beauty, and if there was something that wasn't beautiful, she would find a way to bring beauty to it. Everything from a blooming wildflower to a herd of prickleboars to a gang of human bandits, she had love for everything. And she had love for living. Every day was an adventure for her, she wasn't the type to just sit around, she found something new to love every day; her passion burned so brightly that even a dark night was luminous when she was there. I told her once that she should have been a fire malak with all that spirit, but she argued that water encompassed all of life's beauty - it could be a gentle, nurturing stream or a raging, devastating flood; it could be a calm pond full of plant life or a vast, roaring ocean full of unknowable creatures; it could be a gentle shower in summer or a stinging snowstorm in winter. I never argued the point again, because she was right; she embodied everything about her element. Even her laughter was like the sound of a crashing waterfall, sprays of water tumbling through the air in a joyous dance celebrating their existence."

This, also, was not what Edna had anticipated; if anything, she'd expected Zaveid to talk about how hot his girlfriend was, but the only thing she knew at this point was that Theodora had been a water malak.

"You asked me if I still miss her, Velvet?" Zaveid asked, his back still turned to all of them. "Hell yeah I do. It's been so long, and yet I still see her face in my dreams. Her violet eyes that always sparkled with life, her long white hair that turned into deep blue whirlpools at the ends, her joyous laughter…and it's like she was never gone. And then I wake up, and I lose her all over again."

Cold blossomed in Edna's stomach as she remembered that Zaveid had occasionally talked in his sleep during their quest with Sorey - saying things like _"don't leave me baby," "I'm right here, come stay with me,"_ and so on. At the time, she'd assumed the pervert was having predictable pervy dreams. But now…

"I told her," Zaveid said softly. "I _told_ her, it was dangerous, taking in those kids. That it wouldn't be long before we turned. And she told me that I could leave and save myself, she wouldn't force me to stay, but that she just couldn't live with herself knowing that a child was alone in the world, without a home, without a family, and she'd done nothing to help them. It didn't matter what it cost her. So I stayed, what else could I do? I couldn't let her face that all alone. I hoped maybe, if we shared the burden, we could make it through." He gave a single, hollow laugh. "And look what happened."

"She sounds…like she was really special," Edna said lamely.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Yeah, she was."

And with that, Edna had to let go of all her preconceived notions about Zaveid. This wasn't a man who was talking about a passing dalliance that had ended before he was ready; this was a man talking about a woman whom he had _loved_, truly loved, with all his heart, and lost to powers beyond his control. It was hard to consolidate that person with the gross perv she thought she'd known for five hundred years, but…

Suddenly, it clicked.

"All this time you've spent chasing every girl you lay eyes on," Edna said slowly. "You've really just been…trying to find someone who could replace her-"

"_No one_ could replace Theodora," Zaveid growled. "_No one_."

"No, but…but even someone who could fill in even a portion of the hole in your heart where she used to be," Edna revised. "Something, anything, that could make the pain even a little easier to bear, even for the briefest moment, so you don't have to feel it crushing you under its full weight all the time. You know the pain will never go away, but any option, any possibility that the burden could be eased even slightly, for just a second…is worth chasing, because the pain is just too much…" She trailed off, not really sure when she'd stopped talking about Zaveid.

This, he didn't deny.

They sat quietly for several long minutes, two humans and two seraphim, all world-weary relics of ages upon ages gone by, united by their losses, bonded by their pain. None of them felt hungry, not even for Velvet's godlike cooking.

At last, Velvet broke the silence.

"Everyone, I have something to say," she announced.

Zaveid turned back around to face her, not quite hiding the telltale signs that he'd been crying, though Edna chose not to comment on it.

"We have all…been through so much, to get here," Velvet said slowly. "We have all suffered, and lost people very dear to us."

"I mean, that doesn't really apply to me," Rokurou said sheepishly. "Though I will admit I'm a little envious of you all, to have had such close bonds with other people that it still weighs on you all this time later."

"Rokurou, you…have lost things in your own right," Velvet told him. "Maybe you don't feel it the same way we do, but you've lost a lot, too. And anyway, that's not my point. My point is…" She sighed heavily. "Life has been cruel to all of us. It's cruel to everyone, but we've all had a lot more time to suffer…and suffered harder than most. Through loss…though betrayal…through circumstances of birth…"

"Hey now-!"

"We're all here now, all alive, but we've been forced to craft armor for ourselves to protect us from life's cruelty," Velvet went on, cutting Rokurou off. "Rokurou's carelessness, my hatred, Edna's callousness, Zaveid's flirting…we put on masks, so we can face a world we know will only hurt us."

"What're you getting at?" Zaveid asked in a low voice.

"I want this place here, out in our little corner of nowhere, to be our home," Velvet said. "I want us to be a family, and for this to be our refuge. I want all of us to know that here, in this place, with each other, we don't have to wear masks, we don't have to put on armor. We can trust each other, tell each other anything, and know that we will support each other, no matter what happens; that as long as we're here, we're safe. Because that's what a family is…what a family should be. That's what a home should be. And all of us need both of those things, after all we've been through."

Everyone pondered this declaration for a few moments.

"There's…truth, to what you're saying," Zaveid finally said slowly. "A lot of truth. But what you call masks and armor aren't just things we can take off - they're part of us, now, part of who we are. We can't just change 'em out like hats."

"I think what my wife is saying is that this should be a place where we _can_ be honest with each other," Rokurou mused. "We can take off the masks and the armor, or not, whatever we feel comfortable with, because we know we're safe here either way. We aren't required to, but we can, because we trust each other."

"Yes, that's what I meant," Velvet nodded. "Thank you, Rokurou."

"Don't mention it," he replied with a grin. "And I'm all for it. Edna? Zaveid? What about you?"

"Is my bed made yet?" Edna asked in response.

"Yup!" Rokurou's grin widened. "I spent two million gald on the materials, so I hope it meets your tastes. The whole room isn't done yet, but-"

"I'm sure it's fine," Edna said. "Sure, I'll be part of this family. I think…I think that's what Eizen would want. And maybe it's what I want too," she admitted.

"Family, huh?" Zaveid asked. "What family is this, anyway? The Crowe-Rangetsu family?"

"Rangetsu-Crowe," Rokurou corrected. "It flows better, and also I'm older so my name goes first."

Velvet chuckled fondly.

"I mean…" Zaveid sighed. "It's not really in a wind seraph's nature to settle down…and besides, I'm not sure I belong-"

"You have as much right to be here as any of us, Zaveid," Velvet told him firmly. "You're already part of this family in a lot of ways. And even wind seraphim need families. No one should have to feel alone in the world."

"Well…if you're sure…"

"Hold on," Edna piped up, turning a glare on the wind seraph. "If you agree to join this family, that means you need to cut it with all the gross pervy crap."

"That's not what Velvet-"

"Velvet said she wants us all to feel safe here," Edna pointed out. "How is a lady supposed to feel safe if she's sharing a home with a lech?"

"_I_ don't mind, Zaveid," Velvet said. "I know you're only joking. If I thought you were serious, Rokurou would slice you into sashimi."

"Damn right I would," Rokurou confirmed.

"Well, _I_ mind," Edna stated. "No more flirting with me, no more being a jerk. That's what you have to agree to if you're going to be part of this family."

"Hey, I'm still me," Zaveid shrugged. "I can't help myself, I am who I am. And I'm allowed to be who I am here, that's the whole point of Velvet's little proposal."

"Not if it makes anyone else here feel uncomfortable," Edna pointed out.

"This is a problem," Rokurou remarked.

"If you two can't come to some sort of agreement, you can't stay here," Velvet agreed.

"Nah, it's fine, I'll go," Zaveid said readily, setting his bowl aside and standing up. "Like I said, us wind seraphim don't settle down…and I know when I'm not welcome. Have fun, kids; thanks for the food, Velvet."

And he started walking away.

"Zaveid…" Velvet said sadly.

It was what Edna had wanted, and yet she found herself feeling sorry for the world-weary wanderer. He was still a jerk, but…but there was more to him than that. Though she tried to keep a lid on it, as he left the circle of firelight, she found herself standing up abruptly.

"Wait," she called out.

Zaveid stopped and turned around, but said nothing.

"Let's compromise," Edna sighed. "How about this: You're allowed to hit on me once a year. You can be as elaborate and over the top as you like, and I'll let you go through the whole song and dance before I say no, no matter how nauseating you get. And…" She grimaced, then added, "And who knows? You might wear me down eventually." This was extremely unlikely, but she found herself wanting to give him as little reason to refuse as possible.

"Once a year, huh?" he mused.

"Once a year might as well be every five seconds for seraphim as old as us," Edna pointed out; "if you can't manage that, then you're beyond anyone's help."

He frowned, and Edna waited. It wasn't that she didn't care what he did, but rather, she found herself torn, both hoping he would leave and hoping he would stay. All her centuries training herself to be hardened to emotion didn't help.

Then, Zaveid started laughing.

"Heh heh heh, once a year," he repeated, smiling. "Sure, I can do that. It's a deal. But be prepared to be swept off your feet, as I'll go to the ends of the earth in pursuit of something to-"

"Tonight's antics count, by the way," Edna stated, sitting back down.

"Are you serious?!" Zaveid exclaimed.

"I'm very serious," Edna replied.

"You-! Gah…" Zaveid shook his head, and Edna fully enjoyed seeing him fight with himself. "Fine," he managed at last. "Deal."

"So we can all be a family, then?" Velvet asked. "We all agree, this is our home, we're safe here with each other, no matter what?"

"No matter what," Zaveid and Rokurou confirmed, nodding.

"Sure," Edna shrugged.

And Velvet smiled.

~X~

Zaveid still left that night, and insisted that Rokurou not make a guest room for him - he would come and go, he told them, but this would still be his home, his family, no matter where he went. Privately, Edna thought he just couldn't stand to be around two women for a whole day without flirting, and would only stay as long as he could at a time before running off to get the womanizing out of his system; but as long as she wasn't the target, it didn't really matter.

Her room was, indeed, not complete that night, but the bed was, and it was surprisingly lavish for such a simpleton to put together, more than enough for Lady Edna. From then on, she stayed there, not even visiting her old home, though she still checked in with Lailah in Ladylake on a regular basis.

Rokurou went crazy building other things - a room and furniture for the baby, stairs to help his pregnant wife get to their room more easily, whatever else he felt like doing. Edna used her earth powers to uproot all the tree stumps he'd left lying around and encouraged new plant life to grow, so the clearing wasn't so barren. One of the stumps, from a skibus tree, Rokurou turned into some odd cutting board surrounded by a built-in trough that he insisted was necessary for the child Velvet would soon have. Edna thought he seemed almost frantic in his building, which was amusing for someone who at one time never cared about anything, and she and Velvet would joke with each other about the stress of impending parenthood causing Rokurou to crack.

Months passed, Zaveid stopping by every two or three days to spend a few hours with them, and Velvet's belly swelled like a puffer fish. It was somewhat fascinating, watching the human reproductive process; Edna was glad she would never experience any of it herself, and more and more so with each new symptom that arose. When the baby was developed enough that Edna could feel it kick against Velvet's skin just by placing her hand on the lump, she nearly gagged.

At last, the day came when Velvet went into labor. Zaveid wasn't there, and Velvet insisted that she not be brought to Ladylake for a doctor to help her deliver…and somehow, amid all this chaos, it ended up being Edna who waited between Velvet's legs as she pushed, Edna's gloves and umbrella across the room, while Rokurou got to sit beside his wife and hold her hand.

The process was revolting. Edna had always known the basics, of course, but to actually see the process of a baby coming out of a woman's body was absolutely disgusting. Still, Edna was oddly fascinated as well, curious to see how new humans came into the world with so much struggle and effort, unlike seraphim who simply manifested, seemingly at random.

"Is it supposed to take this long?" she eventually asked; Velvet had been panting and moaning in pain for what felt like hours, fluids trickling out of her.

"I think so," Rokurou said with absolutely zero confidence. "I mean…I was the last-born of my family, I never saw my mother give birth, but…I _think_ this is normal."

Velvet cried out in pain as another wave of contractions swept through her. _Do these contractions actually do anything?_ Edna wondered impatiently. _It shouldn't take this long for a single being to come into existence._

"You're doing great, Vel," Rokurou murmured to her, clutching her hand tightly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just…stay here," she panted. "I'm fine. This is - _aaaaaagh_! - nothing compared to being purified."

"I didn't know purification was painful," Edna remarked.

"It was for us," Rokurou began, but Edna held up a hand.

"Wait," she said, peering at her tasked area. "I think I see something."

Velvet cried out again.

"Yes, I see the head," Edna confirmed, looking up at the human woman. "I think you just push as hard as you can now, right?"

The new mother did as she was told, with much groaning and screaming, and a couple of minutes later, Edna helped a small, slimy, squirming _thing_ out of Velvet's body and into the world.

It shrieked and writhed, and Edna stared at it in horror. _Is this thing even human? I've seen hellions that look less mutated than this…_ "It's a boy," she managed to inform Velvet, reaching for the fresh towels Rokurou had had heating over some embers in a metal basin he'd brought into his and Velvet's room. As she tried to wipe some of the goo off the wailing creature, she realized everything hadn't quite come out - a gross, wormlike tube still connected the child to his mother. Frowning, she wrapped a towel around it and grabbed it, tugging it in hopes it would come off.

"Whoa, hey, let me handle that," Rokurou spoke up. Standing and letting go of his wife's hand, he drew Stormhowl, planting the blade among the red-hot lumps. As it heated, he walked over and tied a kink in the tube.

"Are you supposed to do that?" Edna asked; Rokurou didn't seem bothered by the thing's appearance, so she could only assume this gross little monstrosity was normal for newborn humans.

"Yep," he replied. "Give it a minute…and…" All at once, he grabbed the heated sword and slashed it through the tube, just a bit closer to the baby than the knot he'd tied. "Technically, I'm supposed to use a heated short sword," he mentioned, "but my short swords were forged from a daemon's head; I don't want anything malevolent around the baby."

"Good thinking," Edna muttered, wrapping the now-free newborn in the warm towels and handing him to Velvet at last.

Velvet took the child and held him close. Her face was flushed, locks of hair were plastered to her face with sweat, but her golden eyes were full of love as she brought the child to her chest and began to nurse him. Despite herself, Edna couldn't help but admit it was an oddly beautiful moment, grossness notwithstanding.

"Well, mom?" Rokurou asked, taking his seat beside his wife again and looking over at his son. "What's his name? I don't know any names besides Rangetsu names, so it's your call."

"I…" Velvet frowned slightly, her eyes clouding over.

"Maybe Laphicet?" Rokurou suggested.

"No!" Velvet yelped, then shook herself as she rocked her newborn child. "No," she repeated. "That name…no."

"Well then, I have no ideas," Rokurou shrugged.

A long moment was spent in silence, save for the sound of the baby nursing. Edna wiped all the gross fluids she'd had to deal with off her hands and arms with one of the spare towels, eyeing the new family passively. Then, Velvet raised her head to look at Edna, her eyes sad.

"Edna-" she began.

"Go ahead," Edna told her.

Velvet blinked. "Are you sure-?"

"It's not like there's anything else you could name him, is there?" Edna remarked, retrieving her gloves and umbrella so she could twirl her weapon over her shoulder, her back to the humans. "I'm sure."

"I won't without your permission," Velvet insisted.

"I said it's fine," Edna responded firmly. "Seriously."

"Then…" Edna turned around as Velvet removed the tiny human from her chest and held it out to her. "Would you…like to do the honors?"

"Not really," Edna replied, but with a pleading look from Velvet, she conceded, "but fine, I'll do it."

Setting her umbrella aside, Edna took the little bundle in her arms again. The baby wasn't screaming anymore, and it was less slimy, so Edna was able to actually take a good look at him and think, this is a new person, this little life could be anything…

A sudden urge took hold of Edna's body, a powerful seraphic instinct she had never felt before. Without thinking, she cradled the baby in one arm and lifted her other hand to gently, ever so gently, place a fingertip against his forehead. Mana surged through her and poured into the newborn, visible only through a momentary glow that passed over him: a blessing. Edna hoped it was a good one.

As she withdrew her finger, one tiny hand lurched out from the wrappings and grabbed it, grasping her fingertip in his entire little fist. Even so small, his grip was strong, and Edna felt herself smile slightly as she spoke gently, more gently than she had ever thought she could manage:

"Welcome to the world…Eizen."

~X~

Human babies, Edna quickly decided, were gross. Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe seemed to be a factory of nothing but loud, earsplitting noises and constant, disgusting excretions of various consistencies. She only hoped that, as a malak, she hadn't been nearly as revolting to care for when her brother had raised her. Velvet insisted that little Eizen was incredibly well-behaved for a newborn baby, remarking that he seemed as placid as her little brother had been, just without the illness factor; if this was well-behaved for a baby, Edna hoped she would never see one that was poorly-behaved. Still, the child was family, and she did her best to help care for him…as his namesake once did for her.

Zaveid visited two days later, and seemed devastated that he'd missed the birth, though why he was surprised was beyond Edna. When he was informed of the newborn's name, he frowned pensively at Edna, returned the nod she gave him, then smiled and carried on like nothing was remarkable about it at all. His cheerful demeanor was better suited to dealing with a baby, and Edna felt relieved every time he visited and she didn't have to be the only supporting member of the family.

After a few weeks, Rokurou revealed the special use of the cutting board he'd made: heaping cheese, berries, and the edible parts of melons onto the block, he minced it all together until it was basically mush, then waited as an alarming amount of juice poured off the resulting pile into the built-in trough. This, he informed his family, was traditional Rangetsu baby food: the cheese drew the moisture out of the fruit, and the resulting juice was a blend of nutrients that a very young baby could swallow safely. Privately, Edna thought that even a newborn would have a hard time choking on the minced mush Rokurou had made, but he was insistent that the baby not eat the solids for another couple of months. Velvet balked at this Rangetsu tradition only as long as it took Rokurou to point out that his family always worked hard to ensure their children would grow as strong and healthy as possible, and that it wasn't really part of the traditional Rangetsu training. As for the mush itself, Rokurou insisted that the adults be the ones to eat it until Eizen was old enough; Edna tried a spoonful, and was surprised at the refreshing flavor, nothing on Velvet's cooking but still perfectly edible.

Time passed, and Eizen grew. After just a few months, he wasn't really all that revolting anymore - not quite human-looking, but an odd sort of cute in a way. He had the same golden eyes as his mother, and his hair was black, of course, though it was hard to tell which parent's black hair he'd inherited. Zaveid insisted on being present for the boy's first birthday, and he put on a show with the illusory artes he still wielded when he felt like it that had the boy's eyes wide with wonder…and yet, the child still hadn't spoken.

A month or so later, Eizen was walking. Edna was the one who helped him stand, caught him when he tripped, held his hand as he navigated the earth on his own two feet; somewhere along the way, she'd bonded with him, and felt her heart swell with each step he managed to take. Velvet refused to ever leave the treehouse, and Rokurou didn't like to leave his wife, so Edna had been the one to select the baby clothes to bring back for him, giving him tiny boots just as her brother had done for her. In a way, though he didn't seem much like malak Eizen, Edna found herself thinking of the boy as her little brother.

Yet still, even when he was walking on his own, he didn't speak.

When his second birthday came, Edna took Zaveid aside and expressed her concerns. She didn't know how long it normally took humans to learn the power of speech, but she had a feeling that it might be connected to how isolated little Eizen was out here - he'd never gone further than the forest immediately surrounding the treehouse, never met any humans besides his parents, never seen anyone remotely close to his own age. Zaveid agreed that it was a problem, and they promised each other they would find a way to broach the subject with his parents safely - even if the boy started talking on his own, he needed to be with his own kind, they were both united in this.

Finally, a month after his second birthday, Eizen spoke. His first word…was "Edna."

~o~

Several months after Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe started speaking, Edna and Zaveid visited seraph Eizen's grave for the anniversary of his death. Both said their piece, then stepped back to talk to each other.

"Little Eizen's talking now, but we agree he can't stay at the treehouse," Edna half-asked.

"Yeah," Zaveid confirmed. "Did you talk to Velvet about it?"

"I did," Edna sighed. "She's worried about him, and what people would think of him if they knew he was the son of the two hellions who were purified a few years ago."

"Maotelus didn't think that one through," Zaveid grumbled. "Everyone knows who Velvet and Rokurou are now…"

"It's been almost three years," Edna pointed out. "Do humans remember things for that long?"

"Of course they do!" Zaveid exclaimed.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter," Edna shrugged; "Velvet never wants to set foot in a town again, Rokurou hates to leave Velvet, and Eizen can't leave on his own. I could escort him into town, but…" She sighed. "But then what? How do we help him get to know people?"

"Hmm…" Zaveid frowned in thought; Edna considered making a snide remark about him actually using his brain, but decided against it. Over the last couple of years, apart from his yearly propositions to her, she'd seen an incredibly different side of him, one that was even halfway decent. And, she realized, she had changed somewhat, too - she didn't feel so bitter anymore, so calloused, at least not around her new family.

She glanced over at her dead brother's grave, and could almost see him smiling at her across time. _This is everything you could ever have wanted for me, huh?_ she thought. _A home. A family. A life…_

"Say," Zaveid prompted her, drawing her back to the present situation, "Lailah's a schoolteacher now, ain't that right? At least when she's not attending her Prime Lord duties."

"Yeah," Edna said, "and she doesn't have many Prime Lord duties right now."

"Well, how about we introduce her to the kid?" Zaveid suggested.

Edna blinked. "That…might actually be a really good idea," she said. "Once he's old enough, Eizen could go to school in Ladylake, and in the meantime we could introduce him to his teacher so he won't be alone and confused when the day comes."

"Yeah, all right!" Zaveid grinned. "We have a plan!"

"Do we?" Edna asked pointedly. "How are we going to get Lailah to the treehouse?"

"Uh…" He pondered this for a minute, then suddenly started to chuckle. "I might have an idea."

"Do I want to know?"

"Oh, I think you'll like it…"

~o~

Together, Edna and Zaveid spent months preparing for their diabolical plan. Zaveid had been right, Edna did like it; using humans' stupidity against them was always amusing in her opinion. Though Edna lived with the Rangetsu-Crowes, she stopped by Ladylake to check in with Lailah often, and Zaveid would carefully time his own visits to perfectly coincide with hers - it took actual coordinated scheduling, something foreign to both of them, but they were confident it would be worth it.

Little Eizen's third birthday came and went, and he was actually talking pretty impressively for a child that had only just started to speak. Velvet and Rokurou were "mommy" and "daddy", Zaveid was "uncle Zaveid", and Edna was either "Edna" or "big sis". He was a curious little thing, always asking questions as soon as he knew the words for them, and his constant desire to learn more reminded Edna of his namesake a little bit. Somewhere down the line, she started calling him "baby brother", not through her own volition; it just felt right.

At last, a day came when Sorey and Mikleo returned from one of their grand expeditions to visit their Prime Lord and catch up with old friends. It turned out that the Shepherd and his Prime Lord could be separated quite extensively while still maintaining the pact, albeit at the cost of Lailah's guaranteed purity, but Lailah was pure enough that she didn't really need a vessel to stay sane. Still, Sorey always came back to Ladylake after a long journey, and reinforced the pact while he was there.

This was what Edna and Zaveid had been waiting for.

They both spent the usual ritual with Sorey and Mikleo of talking and catching up, but they dropped numerous hints that they had somewhere they needed to be and would have to leave the little party early. When Mikleo asked, Edna said something about "family business", and Zaveid built on it by adding that it was "nothing they could help with". It was kind of scary, how well they worked together to manipulate Sorey and his seraph friends - they didn't even have to look at each other to know when to drop a hint or who should do the prodding.

At last, they went to leave Ladylake together.

"Do you think they'll take the bait?" Edna muttered to Zaveid.

"I give 'em two minutes," he smirked. "That was well played!"

"Yeah…you too," she admitted.

Barely had they reached the town gates when Zaveid gave a small chuckle. "They're coming," he told her. "Sorey's using Mikboy's power for a Spectral Cloak to try to sneak up on us."

"Idiots," Edna muttered as they slowly crossed the bridge, giving their prey plenty of time to keep up. "We don't need to see them to know they're there."

"Guess they don't deal with many earth or wind seraphim," Zaveid remarked.

"I wonder if they do find many seraphim on their adventures," Edna mused. "Most seraphim stay in Elysia, and the rest tend to live among humans, neither of which suits they places they go…"

"Yeah, but there are some weirdos, like us," Zaveid said.

In response, Edna jabbed him with her umbrella.

It took too long to reach the treehouse, but both seraphim had to be sure their tail wouldn't lose them. Even Edna could feel Sorey's bootsteps through the ground, and she knew Zaveid felt their movement with the wind; they seemed to be jogging from tree to tree to renew the Spectral Cloak. _Poor Meebo,_ Edna thought, _wasting all that energy on a pointless arte…_

At last, they reached the clearing that was already full of plant life just a couple of years after having the stumps torn up.

"Hello!" Zaveid called.

"Uncle Zaveid!" exclaimed an excited voice, and little Eizen ran out from behind the house tree at full speed.

"Whoa, there, boy!" Zaveid exclaimed as the toddler crashed into him, getting down on one knee to scoop him up. "You're getting too big to go tackling people like that! You're gonna knock me over one of these days!"

Eizen giggled. "Fly, fly!" he cried, spreading his arms.

Zaveid laughed too, tossing Eizen up in the air and summoning a gust of wind to keep the child aloft.

"Wheee!" Eizen exclaimed, grinning and laughing as he floated on Zaveid's power.

"Show-off," Edna muttered, though she let herself smile at the wind seraph.

"Big sis!" Eizen yelped, as though only just noticing her. "Hey, big sis!" He flailed his arms, as though trying to reach his way back to the ground; Zaveid slowed the wind and caught him, setting him on his feet gently. "Hey, hey! What'd you bring me?"

"I can't bring you something every time I leave, baby brother," Edna told him. "But I've got a surprise later that I think you'll like."

"Huh. Anyway, daddy's been training me!" Eizen went on, planting his little boots in the grass. "I bet you can't knock me over! I bet you!"

"Oh really?" Edna asked. "Well, I guess I have to try now, don't I?"

She planted her umbrella's tip in the ground and closed her eyes a moment, summoning her communion with the land. Then she opened her eyes and smiled, and the earth beneath Eizen's tiny feet started to shift and bubble up unevenly. Surprisingly, though he wavered, Eizen managed to keep his balance.

"You really are improving," Edna remarked. "I guess I shouldn't go easy on you."

"Don't go easy!" Eizen shouted at her as he continued with his struggle not to fall over. "Harder, harder!"

Edna giggled and sent the little circle of ground she was manipulating into chaos, sharp swells and dips roiling through like a miniature sea. Eizen shrieked with delight and tried to stay standing as Edna ramped it up even more, until finally he was knocked into the air and Edna reached out to catch him. Both of them fell into the grass together, laughing.

_Laughing_. It suddenly occurred to Edna that her hidden audience had never seen her laugh like this. When had having fun become normal for her…?

"Zaveid," came the voice of a grown man, as Velvet and Rokurou finally joined the party. "Hey, how ya been?"

"Free as the wind," Zaveid replied with a grin, and he and Rokurou shared their weird fist-punch that they'd started doing recently as like a secret handshake. Ever since a drinking contest they'd gotten into that had left them both on the verge of death about a year earlier, they'd been like brothers, though Zaveid had promised Edna that Rokurou knew nothing of their little plan. "And you?"

"Strong as steel," Rokurou replied.

"Hey, pretty mama, what's for dinner tonight?" Zaveid asked Velvet as Eizen leapt up to clutch at his mother's legs and Edna brushed the grass off her dress.

Velvet laughed. "Meat sauce over noodles, for growing boys," she replied, leaning down to ruffle Eizen's hair, "plus a quiche, for everyone."

"Sounds great!" Zaveid declared. His smile twisted slightly, and he added, "But first…"

Quick as a flash, he dashed into the trees. There was a yelp, and Zaveid came back, dragging Sorey by the arm.

"Oh, no you don't," he told the human. "You didn't think you were gonna leave without saying hello, did you?"

"Uh…" Sorey's face was bright red, though he followed Zaveid's guidance resignedly.

Edna looked down to see what Eizen's reaction to a newcomer would be, only to find him cowering behind his father's loose garments, wide golden eyes fixed on Edna, full of fear and questions.

_Yeah, we made the right call,_ Edna thought as Zaveid herded Sorey over to the group.

"Sorey?" Velvet asked guardedly. "What are you doing here?"

"W-Well…" Sorey stammered. "Uh…you see-"

"They followed us here," Edna replied flatly.

"Th-that's not true!" Sorey exclaimed. "And what do you mean 'they'?"

"Lailah, Mikboy, come on out," Zaveid said, folding his arms. "The jig's up."

Sorey started, then sighed, and two presences arose from within him to take the form of his water seraph partner and the fire seraph Prime Lord, both of whom looked equally sheepish. Little Eizen peeked out from behind his father, then immediately hid again, his terrified breathing audible to all.

"We knew you were following us," Edna told Sorey and his allies, deciding to cut the crap already. "Why do you think we walked so slowly on the way over here? You did exactly what we wanted you to."

"What are you talking about?" Velvet asked. "Edna, explain yourself!"

"Velvet, babe, consider this an intervention," Zaveid told her. "You can't keep your kid all isolated out here, it's not good for him. We figured you'd have some reservations about letting him out into the world, so Edna and I worked together to pull some strings and bring the world to him instead."

As the predictable questions about who knew what flew around overhead, Edna crept around Rokurou and knelt down beside Eizen. "It's okay, baby brother," she told him gently. "Don't be scared. They're friends."

"Friends?" the boy whimpered.

"Yeah. Friends are…" Edna frowned, thinking. "Friends are…like family, kind of. Except you don't live with them."

"They're…family?" Eizen asked. "Like…like uncle Zaveid?"

"Sure," Edna replied, forcing a smile. "You can say that."

Slowly, Eizen peered out from behind his father at the newcomers, though he kept his fists balled in his father's kimono. With a sigh, Edna stood up and walked back into the middle of the conversation that was still going, though the accusations had, incredibly, already passed.

"Really, it was Lailah we needed out here," Zaveid was explaining. "She's a schoolteacher in Ladylake, and we agree that our boy should go to school, so we brought her here to introduce herself to him."

"That's all you needed?" Lailah asked. "You could have just asked me!"

"And you would have refused to come the moment we told you that Velvet wouldn't like it," Edna remarked. "But Sorey and Meebo are reliably curious and nosey; we knew we could use them to drag you out here."

"Wouldn't like it?" Lailah repeated. "Why ever not?"

"Because he's safe here!" Velvet snapped.

Everyone turned to her.

"I want to keep my son safe," Velvet told Lailah. "Is that so hard to understand? And you two!" she added, turning on Edna and Zaveid. "I thought we made a promise not to keep secrets from each other here!"

Zaveid took a step back, and Edna blinked. "We…agreed to trust each other…" she said slowly.

"But they also know you pretty well, Velvet."

At this unexpected input, everyone turned to Rokurou, who was frowning thoughtfully.

"Once you've decided something, you don't change your mind without a fight," he mused, "and you can be pretty protective. It makes sense that they'd think they had to manipulate their friends into tailing them here, even if it is a little extreme." His copper eyes turned on her, deadly serious. "And they're right. Our son needs to go to school. I mean, look at this." He gestured to where the child still cowered in fear behind him. "No son of mine should be hiding behind his father just because some new people came by."

"Rokurou-" Velvet began angrily.

"Come to think of it, he's a lot more isolated than even I was growing up," Rokurou went on. "I thought you wanted the whole world to be open to him, Velvet, for him to be able to choose his own future. What kind of choice of future can he have if he can't even stand new people?"

It was Velvet's turn to step back, her furious expression giving way to pain.

"Rokurou has a point," Sorey added. "I may have been the only human growing up in Elysia, but at least I lived in a village, with a lot of different people around to help me learn how to behave in society."

"And even then, you were pretty hapless when you left," Mikleo added with a small smile.

"No child should grow up alone," Lailah concurred. "And if you really don't want your son to go to school, then…then I question your abilities as a mother!"

This was by far the cruelest thing Edna had ever heard Lailah say, and she had half a mind to ask if it had really been necessary, but this felt like a moment that needed silence. Velvet's eyes, glistening with unshed tears, panned across the humans and seraphim, back and forth, as she warred with herself.

And then, an unexpected voice spoke up.

"Mommy?"

"Oh! Oh, sweetie!" Velvet croaked, rushing over to her son and getting down to his eye level. "What is it, honey?"

"What's school?" Eizen asked.

"Um…" Velvet blinked. "Well, school is…where children go to learn things."

"What kind of things?"

"Uh…everything," she answered. "Reading, and writing, and history, and…and probably a lot of other things I don't know about."

Eizen tilted his head. "Are there friends there?" he asked.

"Friends?"

"Others, like them," Eizen unclenched one fist from his father's garments to point at Sorey, Lailah, and Mikleo.

"Oh…" Understanding and sadness clouded Velvet's eyes, as she understood that he was simply asking if there would be other people at school. "Yes," she answered, "there are other people there. Many other people."

The boy frowned. "But…I'd get to learn things?"

"Yes…"

"Then…can I go to school, mommy? Please?"

Gasping, Velvet recoiled.

"Please?" Eizen pleaded. "I wanna learn. Please mommy?"

"I…I…" Tears spilled down Velvet's cheeks as she shook her head and exclaimed, "Yes, yes sweetie, of course you can go to school!"

And Eizen smiled as everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, I look forward to having you in my class," Lailah said brightly, stepping forward.

His smile vanished, and he recoiled back behind his father. Lailah's smile faltered.

"It's okay, little one," she said gently. "I won't hurt you."

But Eizen didn't come out.

"Give him some time," Edna said. "Why don't you three stay for dinner?"

"Yeah, have dinner with us!" Rokurou said brightly. "You came a long way, it's the least we can offer."

"I don't know if we have enough-" Velvet began as she got to her feet.

Edna tossed a small sack at the woman, cutting her off. "Here," Edna said. "I bought some things just in case this happened. You should get started now, though."

Velvet opened the sack, looked inside, and immediately laughed. "Fine, I'll make stew too," she said, and she turned to head for the fire pit.

"Mommy?" Eizen ran after her, then seemed to realize this left him in full view and kept running until he was behind the tree.

"Well," Zaveid sighed contentedly, "that went better than expected."

"Agreed," Edna said. "I thought she would put up a much bigger fight."

"I'm glad you did this," Rokurou told them, still frowning. "My own son, running and hiding from family friends just because he hasn't seen them before…" He shook his head. "Disgraceful. You know, you could have told me you were planning this, I would have helped."

"We couldn't risk you bringing it up with Velvet," Edna stated.

"I wanted to tell you," Zaveid added, "but Edna insisted. Forgive me?"

"You'll have to earn it," Rokurou said with a naughty grin.

"A rematch, then?" Zaveid asked eagerly.

"_No_," Edna told them, stepping between the two childish men. "No more drinking contests. You idiots nearly killed yourselves last time."

"Aw, come on, we weren't _that_ drunk," Zaveid protested.

Edna glared at him. "You passed out in the grass and spent the night here, and Rokurou was bedridden for three days," she reminded him coldly. "Even with my earth powers, Velvet and I spent hours cleaning up the mess you two made."

"Well…" Zaveid's smile faltered. "Maybe we…got a _little_ carried away…"

"Velvet she told me that if either of you ever tried to do something that stupid again, I had permission to seal the instigator in stone for a week," Edna went on, glaring at Rokurou too. "_No more drinking contests_."

"Well, I gotta respect the wishes of the lady of the house," Zaveid sighed. "Maybe a sparring match instead?"

"Yeah, Velvet shouldn't get too upset with that," Rokurou agreed.

"I think she and I would both be amused by it," Edna said. "Feel free to hit each other all you like. Just don't get alcohol involved."

"After dinner?" Rokurou asked with a gleam in his eye.

"You're on!" Zaveid grinned, and he gave Rokurou a playful punch before walking after Velvet.

"Are you sure it's okay we stay for dinner?" Sorey asked Edna, stepping forward. "I…I feel like we're intruding."

"Indeed," Lailah agreed, "you all seem so close."

"We're family," Edna shrugged. "But family can have friends over for dinner." She glanced at Rokurou. "Sword-brain, would you make our guests feel at home? I'm going to go look after Eizen."

"Eizen?" Lailah gasped.

Edna blinked, realizing the most important person there hadn't been introduced. "Yes," she said tonelessly. "Velvet and Rokurou's son is named Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe."

She didn't have to look to see the surprise, the sadness, the smiles that crossed her old friends' faces.

"That's…lovely, Edna," Lailah managed at last.

With a noncommittal grunt, Edna started walking for the tree to find her baby brother. Behind her, Rokurou started talking to Sorey about officially repaying his debt and so on, things that didn't matter to anyone but Rokurou by now.

Around a few tree trunk bulges and massive roots, Edna found Eizen hiding in a little wooden alcove on the far side of the tree that held the family treehouse.

"What's wrong, baby brother?" she asked him softly, sitting down on a root beside him.

Wide golden eyes looked up at her. "They look different," he replied.

"Who?"

"The friends," Eizen said. "They don't look like you, or mommy, or daddy, or uncle Zaveid."

"Well…yeah," Edna said. "No two people look exactly alike. Everyone looks different."

Eizen tilted his head. "People? You mean…friends?"

"People can be friends," Edna explained, doing her best not to sigh. "Friends are a special kind of people. So are family." She shook her head and reorganized things mentally before elaborating. "Eizen, family are friends you're born with, people you know you can trust and who will support you from the moment you come into being. Friends…are like family, except you're not born with them - at first, you don't know anything about each other, but once you get to know each other, if you enjoy spending time together and trust each other, that makes you friends. Before that, friends are just…people. People you don't know."

"Are there a lot of people?" Eizen asked.

"Loads," Edna answered. "Lots and lots and lots. Too many, honestly."

"And they all look different?"

Edna nodded.

"But…" Eizen frowned. "The only things I've ever seen that look different are those scary monsters daddy kills sometimes."

Unable to contain a sigh any longer, Edna slid down onto the grass beside the young human. "Some of them can be scary," she admitted. "People can become like those monsters, sometimes. But most of them are okay. And when you go to school, I'll be there to make sure no one hurts you. And so will Lailah."

"And I get to learn things?" Eizen asked.

"Yes," Edna chuckled, "you'll learn a lot of things. More things than you can imagine."

"It sounds fun!" Eizen said, smiling at last.

"So, you want to come out and meet Lailah and the others?" Edna asked.

"Um…" Eizen shrank back slightly.

"Well, we can play here until dinner time," Edna sighed. "Catch." And she tossed a rock in the air using only her seraph powers.

Laughing, Eizen lunged forward and caught the rock, and they started playing one of their favorite games, doing nothing but laugh and have fun until the call came from around the tree that dinner was ready.

"Come on, Eizen," Edna said, letting the two dozen floating rocks fall back to the ground as she stood. "Don't you want dinner?"

"Are the friends there?" Eizen asked.

"Yes," Edna replied.

"Um…can you bring dinner here?" Eizen asked nervously.

"No," Edna said flatly. "You want dinner, you have to come out and meet our friends."

Eizen didn't stand up, poking at the rocks they'd been playing with as though hoping to make them 'fly' himself.

"Well, _I'm_ going to eat," Edna said, opening her umbrella and turning her back. "Come join us when you're ready." And she left him there.

At the fire pit, Zaveid had saved Edna her favorite seat, and she grunted a halfhearted thanks as she sat down. Bowls of stew and dishes of noodles with meat sauce were passed around, and the family dug in while their friends looked on uncertainly.

"Eat up," Rokurou told them after a few mouthfuls of stew. "Go on, it's good!"

"Food isn't a ceremony here," Zaveid added, barely managing to pause between forkfuls of meaty noodles. "We just enjoy Velvet's masterpieces as we please."

"Masterpieces…?" Sorey muttered, looking at his food.

Edna ate slowly, watching her friends and barely withholding a smirk. It was Lailah who finally broke the tension and took a bite, and her reaction was exactly what Edna had expected.

"Oh my!" she gasped after swallowing a single bite of stew. "This is delightful!"

"Really?" Mikleo asked, and he followed suit. "Oh!" His pale purple eyes widened, and he stared at the dish he'd eaten from. "Remarkable…How many artes were used in its preparation?"

"None," Edna answered smugly. "Velvet is simply that good."

"Incredible…"

"Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?" Lailah asked between eager bites.

"My sister," Velvet replied, her cheeks flushing. "Everything I know about cooking, I learned from my older sister before…before she died. And everything she knew, she learned from our mother."

"Then you must come from a family of celebrated chefs," Lailah said brightly.

"I," Sorey inserted, now digging in eagerly, "have eaten foods from all over the world on my travels with Mikleo, and I've never tasted anything this good! I can't believe this kind of food can be made right here at home!"

"Have you been to the far continent?" Rokurou asked out of nowhere.

"We've ventured there once or twice," Mikleo replied, "though we haven't gone far beyond the outlying regions of the land - we have yet to really delve deeply into the foreign cultures and architecture."

"My ancestor came from the far continent thousands of years ago," Rokurou remarked. "From a region called Japon. Have you been there?"

"Japon? No, we haven't gotten that far yet, I don't think," Sorey said.

Just like that, everyone was conversing comfortably over the meal Velvet had lovingly prepared, as though they did this together all the time. Edna participated where she needed to, but most of her attention was focused on the tree that concealed little Eizen's presence. When he finally edged his way out into the glow of the lanterns and the fire that was still cooking Velvet's quiche, Edna was the only one who noticed. She said nothing, just kept an eye on him as she ate.

Slowly, very slowly, he crept around the edge of the circle of firelight, frowning as though trying to decide how to approach the newcomers. Then, at last, he made his way to Lailah, and without saying a word, he grabbed her dress in one hand and began tugging on it.

"Oh!" Lailah exclaimed, looking down at the child.

"Eizen," Edna said, setting her bowl aside and standing to walk over to him, "you don't meet people by pulling on their clothes."

Immediately, Eizen let go of Lailah's dress and turned to Edna. "What should I do?" he asked.

"You say, 'Excuse me, miss' or 'Excuse me, ma'am,' if it's a woman," Edna replied. "For men, you say 'Excuse me, sir,' or 'Excuse me, mister.' Then, if they respond and sound like they want to talk, you talk to them, just like you do with me."

"Okay," Eizen said seriously, and he turned his golden eyes on Lailah. "Excuse me, miss," he said.

Lailah smiled. "Yes, little one?" she asked. "What is it?"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Lailah," the fire seraph replied. "And…your name is Eizen, yes?"

"Yeah!" Eizen answered.

"Tell me, Eizen…how old are you?" Lailah questioned.

"I'm three and a half!" Eizen declared proudly.

"Oh?! Well then, you're…a little young to go to school just yet," Lailah remarked.

"Wait, what?" Zaveid exclaimed from across the fire. "There's an age limit?"

"We usually don't let children into our school until they're at least four years old," Lailah explained to everyone. "That way, they all start at about the same age, and are grouped with others of their own age. It just makes it easier on everyone."

"So I can't go to school?" Eizen asked, looking as though he might cry.

"Of course you can," Lailah told him gently. "Just…when you're a little older. After your fourth birthday."

"But that's not for months!" Eizen whined.

"It'll be here before you know it," Edna told him. "And in the meantime, there's no reason you can't visit Ladylake to see what school looks like."

"Yes!" Lailah agreed. "That's an excellent idea!"

"And then I'll learn things?" Eizen asked.

"I'll make sure of it," Lailah promised. "You will learn everything you could ever want to know."

"That sounds fun." With a smile, Eizen trotted over to Sorey. "Excuse me, mister?"

Sorey chuckled. "Yeah, Eizen?"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Sorey," he replied.

Eizen tilted his head. "You look different," he said. "Not like Lailah, or Edna, or uncle Zaveid."

"Yeah, I'm a human, like you," Sorey told him.

"Human?"

"Lailah, Zaveid, Edna, and Mikleo here are seraphim," Sorey told Eizen. "You, your parents, and I are human."

"What's the difference?" Eizen asked.

"You'll learn all about that in school, I'm sure," Sorey replied.

"Indeed," Lailah confirmed, "that's one of the first things we go over."

"And I start school when I turn four," Eizen said.

"Yeah." Sorey smiled at him.

Eizen peered at the bowl Sorey was holding, then pointed a finger. "What's that?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, you mean this?" Sorey raised his left hand, on which he wore a Shepherd's glove. "This is the mark of the Shepherd."

"What's a Shepherd?"

"A Shepherd is someone who uses the power of purification to quell hellions," Sorey answered.

A blank stare was all he got in response.

"You'll learn all about it in school," Sorey sighed, though he smiled.

"Okay." Eizen nodded, then trotted over to Mikleo. "Excuse me, mister?"

Mikleo laughed. "Yes, Eizen?"

"What's your name?"

"My name's Mikleo," he replied. "I'm an old friend of Sorey's."

"Will you and Sorey be teaching me things at school?" Eizen asked.

"Uh…we actually spend most of our time exploring," Mikleo replied. "Digging through ancient ruins, looking for historical artifacts, far away from any town or village. But we come by sometimes and share what we've found."

"Maybe we should put together presentations for the Ladylake school whenever we come home," Sorey spoke up. "Who knows how many other children have the same passion as us, just waiting to be ignited?"

"That's not a bad idea," Mikleo agreed.

"So I'll learn things?" Eizen asked.

"We'll make sure you learn things," Mikleo promised the boy. "Everything we find, we'll share with you. We're still learning ourselves, you know - there's a lot out there to find and discover. Our goal is to find as much as we can."

"Wow…" Eizen's golden eyes were so big it was amazing he still had a face. Grinning, he trotted around the fire to sit beside his mother. "I like friends," he stated.

Velvet smiled too, happy tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm glad," she told him as the quiche finished cooking and she lifted her masterpiece off the fire and set it on a tree stump to cool.

"I can't wait to have him in my class," Lailah told the young mother. "I'm sure he'll be an exceptional student."

"And…" Velvet's smile faltered as she sat back down, and she put a hand to her stomach. "And any other children we have…you'll teach them too?"

"Of course," Lailah replied, then she blinked. "Oh! Are you-?"

"Velvet?" Rokurou asked. "Something you're not telling me?"

"I wasn't sure until this morning, but…yes," Velvet said, and she smiled. "We're going to have another baby soon."

A chorus of "congratulations" echoed around the fireplace, as Rokurou gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"Does this mean I won't be a baby brother anymore?" Eizen asked.

"You'll always be my baby brother," Edna told him. "But now you'll also be big brother to someone else."

"This is the best day," Eizen said. "No day could ever be better than this day."

Everyone laughed as the quiche was served; there wasn't much to go around, but Sorey, Lailah, and Mikleo were immediately enthralled with it.

"It's an old family recipe," Velvet informed them as they praised her work.

"You could easily get a job in any town making these," Lailah said. "No need to live way out here with skills like this!"

"I…" Velvet frowned. "No one would want any food I made. Not since…"

"Nonsense," Zaveid protested. "With the endorsement of Lady Lailah, no one would object to you selling these. You gotta share this with the world, babe, not keep it all to yourself!"

"I can't," Velvet said simply.

"Why not?" little Eizen asked.

"You'll…understand when you're older," was the only answer Velvet could give.

And the subject was dropped.

~X~

Sorey, Lailah, and Mikleo all took their leave after dinner, and Zaveid escorted them though the forest back to the road while Edna and Eizen helped Velvet clean the dishes. The very next day, Eizen was up at dawn and begging everyone to show him the school, and though Velvet wanted to stay behind, with much pleading and puppy-dog eyes, Eizen managed to convince her to join him, Edna, and Rokurou on their field trip to Ladylake.

Lailah waited for them at the bridge into town so she could show them where Eizen would be going once he was old enough. Eizen's eyes were as big as dinner plates as he looked around at all the unfamiliar things. He kept close to his family, not saying a word, but Edna knew there would be a thousand questions once they were home.

But Eizen wasn't the only one who seemed nervous. Velvet seemed to fold in on herself as they entered the populated area, shying away from groups of people and keeping her eyes down. When they reached the school and Lailah led Eizen in for a tour, Velvet hung back, and Edna stayed with her.

"What's with you?" Edna asked the pregnant woman. "Not one person has glanced at you the whole time we've been here."

"I…" Velvet shook her head. "I don't like it here. As a daemon, I always worried that my malevolence would spread and infect anyone near me; when I was purified, everyone stared at me and whispered to each other with distrust. Even if that wasn't the case…I don't belong here. My world died centuries ago. I'd rather keep to myself now."

"Then what were you doing here when you ran into me?" Edna asked. "That was months after you were purified."

"Yes…I was trying to teach Rokurou how to determine the quality of food at market stalls," Velvet explained, a faint smile touching her lips despite herself. "He can be…a little slow, so I had to come with him several times before I was sure he'd know what to look for when he goes shopping. He still misses little things sometimes, but he knows enough that I don't have to go with him anymore."

"And then I came along and became your errand girl," Edna grumbled.

"Only when I'm pregnant," Velvet pointed out. "Rokurou becomes a different person when he's preparing to be a father."

"I wonder how long it'll take before he starts going crazy renovating the treehouse with a new room for the kid," Edna commented drily.

"If he hasn't started by dinnertime tonight, I'll be surprised," Velvet said, and the two giggled over Rokurou's frantic expecting-parent phase.

They barely made it home before Eizen started asking questions and Rokurou started cutting lumber with his legendary swords. Edna dealt with her baby brother's inquiries all the way until bedtime; putting him to sleep was a struggle, as he kept thinking of more things to ask.

"You'll learn a lot more from school than you'll learn from me," Edna told him at last. "But you won't learn anything if you don't get some sleep."

This was enough to make Eizen shut his eyes and his mouth immediately, and when Edna finally collapsed on her huge, lavish bed and kicked off her boots, she barely had time to crawl to her pillow before passing out.

~o~

Things didn't get any less energetic as time went on; Eizen was counting the days until his fourth birthday and the start of school, and Rokurou's building seemed even more frantic than last time. Any waking minute not spent eating, fussing over his wife, or training his son in the bare basics of his precious Rangetsu fighting style (which he'd managed to convince Velvet to let him teach, so long as the associated lifestyle never came into play), he was building - walls, stairs, furniture, whatever came into his head. Once the new room was done, he started building more rooms, until what had once been a treehouse merely used the tree as a support and was almost bigger than the tree it stood against. It was odd that he seemed so frenzied, as Edna couldn't notice any difference between Velvet's previous pregnancy and this one - an unpleasant series of experiences, sure, but nothing Rokurou hadn't seen before. Yet the swordsman was insatiable, building and building as though hoping to turn the shack into a mansion; Velvet and Edna started joking that the house was as much Rokurou's baby as Eizen was.

Eventually, Eizen's fourth birthday came, and Zaveid put on a tremendous display of illusory artes after dinner like he always did, this time depicting children and adults and desks and books, an entire conjured world of school. Edna thought Eizen might actually explode with happiness at the spectacle, and Zaveid gloated the rest of the night after the boy went to bed about how intricate his arte had been. School started for little Eizen just a few weeks later, and he was over the moon.

At first, Edna went with him to school to keep an eye on him - she wasn't invisible to the other humans, but she waited outside all day, prepared to deal with a crisis. It didn't come; instead, Eizen was grinning from ear to ear when the first school day ended and he came outside to meet Edna, already saying goodbye to another child Edna didn't recognize. It quickly became clear that Eizen was acclimating to society just fine, making friends and excelling in his studies within weeks.

One night, Edna was trying to get Eizen to sleep, but he wanted to keep talking about a girl in an older class named Sadie, who had "sunny hair". He insisted that it was nothing like Edna's hair, it was _all_ yellow like sunshine, and curled and waved like the stream behind the house. It was funny, how something as simple as hair color captured Eizen's interest so thoroughly just for being completely unlike any hair he'd ever seen before, and he was baffled by it.

"It's all shiny, like mommy's," he kept saying, "but it's a pretty yellow like the sun, and it twists and curls. Why does she have hair like that?"

"People have different hair," Edna sighed. "There are all kinds. I've seen humans with red hair like flowers, or twisted into little whirlpools."

"But-"

A cry from elsewhere in the house caught Eizen's attention, and Rokurou came bursting through the door a minute later.

"Edna, Velvet's going into labor," he told her, and he ran back out without another word.

"What's that mean?" Eizen asked.

"It means your baby brother or sister is being born," Edna told him, standing up.

"Really? I wanna see!" Eizen exclaimed, trying to get out of bed.

"No," Edna told him sternly. "You need to go to sleep."

"But I wanna _see_!"

"Trust me, you don't," Edna muttered. "Besides, it'll take a while. You'll be a big brother in the morning. This is something the adults have to handle."

Despite Eizen's grumbling, Edna left and closed the door behind her, climbing the stairs to where Velvet was panting and moaning with pain.

"I guess this is my job again?" Edna muttered, already taking off her gloves.

"Please, Edna," Rokurou said. "There's no one else here."

"There's _you_," Edna remarked, but she set aside her umbrella and got into position.

The process was no different this time, and now that she knew what to expect, Edna didn't get impatient after several hours. At last, the small, writhing baby emerged into the world in Edna's hands, screaming and wailing loud enough that Edna worried it might wake Eizen.

"It's a girl," she told Velvet as Rokurou planted his sword in the embers and she grabbed a towel to wipe off the goo.

But the baby girl wasn't as cooperative as Eizen had been. It was all Edna could do to not drop the child as she tried to wipe her clean, and Rokurou's handling of the gross tube attached - the umbilical cord, Edna had since learned it was called - seemed to make the girl scream even louder. Finally, after some struggle and joint effort, Edna and Rokurou both gave up on trying to soothe her and handed the child off to Velvet.

Quickly, Velvet brought her daughter to her chest and started nursing her, which the girl did eagerly, grasping at her mother as though hoping to get more milk.

"She's a feisty one," Velvet remarked with a smile.

"So, what do we name her?" Rokurou asked. "You wanna call her Eleanor, or maybe Magilou?"

"Hmm…" Velvet's eyes went distant for a minute as she gazed at her baby, then turned to her husband. "If you don't mind…I'd like to name her Niko."

"Niko?" Rokurou repeated. "After your, uh…"

"After my _friend_," Velvet said, emphasizing the word strangely. "Yes. Is that okay?"

"I mean, as long as she's not competition, I don't have a problem with it," Rokurou shrugged, grinning.

Playfully, Velvet swatted at him. "There's no _competition_," she told him, chuckling.

"Niko it is, then," Rokurou declared. "Welcome to the family, Niko!"

"Welcome to the family," Edna concurred from across the room.

"…Welcome to life, Niko," Velvet said softly to the baby still feeding from her, and Edna thought she sounded sad. But she didn't ask.

~X~

It took exactly one day for Edna to understand what Velvet had meant by saying that Eizen was incredibly mild-mannered for a baby.

Back when Eizen had been a baby, Edna had quickly understood that the boy cried when he needed something, and he was usually pretty clear about what that was. Niko, meanwhile, cried whenever she _wanted_ something, and wouldn't cease her earsplitting wailing until she got what she was trying to demand, which wasn't always easy to guess at. The basic needs, like milk and fresh diapers, were common enough, but she would also wail for unknown reasons and become implacable. Edna had lived centuries that had felt shorter than the first day of Niko Rangetsu-Crowe's life.

When Zaveid next visited, he wasn't much better at handling the newborn girl, though she quickly developed a fondness for yanking on his long hair. This being literally the first thing to have made the child smile since her birth, Edna remarked that the child was 'a little monster'.

Despite the exhausting baby, Edna resisted the urge to keep watching over Eizen at school - she couldn't abandon Velvet and Rokurou to deal with Niko on their own. They were family, after all…as was Niko, for better or for worse. When Eizen wasn't at school, he tried to help with his little sister, but she seemed to hate him, shrieking whenever he tried to pick her up and crying when he tried to play with her. He only ever gave up when everyone else in the house insisted that their headaches were getting too bad to stand any more crying, though he would always try again.

It took about a month for them to figure out that Niko hated being in her crib while sunlight shone directly on her, and after that, she became a bit more manageable, though she was still insistent whenever she wanted something. When the time came to wean her off her mother's milk, she ate the juice of Rokurou's traditional baby food well enough, but once she was to start eating the solids, she seemed to enjoy throwing the mush more than eating it; Edna had to bathe daily to clean all the food off, and was lucky as a seraph that her clothes wouldn't stain. Rokurou wasn't so fortunate, and had to have several more of his weird outfit made, apparently determined to never wear normal clothes again, even though it cost millions of gald, which in turn cost what might have been the rest of the forest's skibus trees.

Shortly before her first birthday, Niko started talking; unsurprisingly, her first word was "want". Still, being able to express what she was trying to ask made placating her easier, and Edna was glad for that much, as well as the fact that she wouldn't have to wait as long as she did with Eizen. That was the only thing Niko had over her older brother, though, and Edna never felt nearly as connected with the little girl as she did with Eizen.

Once, when Niko was almost two years old, Zaveid was visiting and used one of his pendulums to deter an uncorrupted but still troublesome fox. Niko immediately latched onto the shiny weapon and started saying that she wanted it. She refused to take "no" for an answer, crying and wailing and actually grabbing at Zaveid's wrist belts trying to take it. Eventually he slapped her, not too hard but enough to get the point across, and Edna felt a bit envious that she hadn't been the one to try to knock some sense into the brat. Of course, Niko immediately went screaming for her parents, who were both initially outraged until Niko's whining and demanding - along with Zaveid and Edna's explanation of the situation - made it clear that their daughter was in the wrong…and they had no idea what to do. Velvet's family had always been mild-mannered, and Rangetsus were trained with the strictest discipline and honor from day one.

"It's a parent's job to teach a kid to act right," Zaveid told them. "If you won't discipline her now, her teachers will when she goes to school, and they won't be so gentle."

Privately, Edna couldn't wait until Niko was old enough to go to school, when at last there would be some peace and quiet at the treehouse.

~X~

It was a couple months shy of Niko's third birthday, and Zaveid joined Edna and Eizen on their way home from school, as he always did when he stopped by for a visit - though she didn't hover anymore, Edna still came to escort her baby brother back, just in case. Eizen was almost as tall as she was by now, and his eager smile as he talked with his uncle about what he'd been learning was a talisman Edna saved in her heart and carried to protect her from the little monster waiting for them back at the treehouse.

Dinner with the family was lovely, and Zaveid kept Niko from whining about not getting her favorite dinner by conjuring some illusions of an incredibly colorful moth for her to grab at, though they always disappeared when she succeeded. It was Zaveid's subtle way of trying to teach Niko that she couldn't always have what she wanted, and though Edna doubted it would work, the frustration on the bratty girl's face was worth it as far as she was concerned.

"Niko," Velvet said when dinner was done.

"Yes, mama?" Niko responded.

"I have something very important to tell you," Velvet told her gently: "You're going to be a big sister soon."

"Wait, really?" Edna exclaimed; a smirk on Rokurou's face told her that this time, he'd already known.

"Again?" Zaveid exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

"I'm…going to be a big sister?" Niko repeated, her copper eyes widening. "Like Eizen's my big brother?"

"Yes," Velvet said, "and your younger brother or sister is going to depend on you. Will you take care of them?"

Niko frowned, as though she was thinking.

"Just how many children are you planning to have?" Edna asked in the meantime.

"Well, I…it's not really a matter of planning," Velvet replied, glancing away from her daughter. "Children happen when they do."

"Isn't there some limit to how many children one human can have?" Edna asked.

"Only by age, I think," Zaveid answered for the human woman. "Once a lady reaches a certain point past her prime, she stops being able to have kids. Until then, the only limit is how many she can grow at a time."

"Velvet's over fifteen hundred years old," Edna reminded Zaveid, momentarily forgetting who was present. "She should be well past her prime by now."

"Maotelus said that he was going to make it as though all our time as daemons never happened," Rokurou reminded her, also slipping. "Lucky for us, he succeeded."

"Yeah, 'lucky'," Edna muttered, realizing what they'd done. Closing her eyes for a moment, she prayed that the children were too preoccupied with the news to think much of the exchange. "Well, no one could be as bad as Niko, I guess," she sighed at last.

"Don't tempt fate, babe," Zaveid told her gravely at the same moment Velvet exclaimed, "Edna!"

Niko was still frowning, toying with her food almost thoughtfully. Eizen's golden eyes peered curiously at Edna, though, and she ducked under her umbrella to hide her face.

"Well, I'm glad I came when I did," Zaveid remarked after a minute. "I'm not leaving until this kid's born."

Everyone older than three turned to him in surprise.

"What?" he asked in response to their stares. "You think I'm gonna miss another birth? No way! We're family, and I'm staying right here until the baby's born!"

"You know it'll be a few months," Edna pointed out.

"I'm not risking it," Zaveid said firmly, folding his arms. "I'm staying until the baby's born, and you can't make me leave."

"Zaveid, we…we don't have a spare room for you," Velvet protested gently. "Rokurou's going to have to build another room for the child, and…"

"I don't mind sleeping under the stars," Zaveid grinned. "I usually do."

"No, we couldn't make you sleep outside!" Velvet objected. "Not here!"

"Don't even ask," Edna said dully before anyone could even look at her, just to get it out of the way; "you're not sharing my bed."

"Edna's bed _is_ plenty big enough for two," Rokurou mused, "but…"

"I'm not sharing a bed with Zaveid," Edna stated. "House rules of trust or not, I am a lady, and will not share my chambers with a man of such depravity."

"Are you ever gonna let this-?"

"What if uncle Zaveid took my bed?" Eizen piped up.

All eyes except his little sister's turned on the human boy.

"Dad just got me a grown-up-sized bed," Eizen boasted; "I bet uncle Zaveid could fit in it. And I could stay with Edna."

Edna blinked. "You…"

"Come on, big sis!" Eizen exclaimed, grinning. "It'll be like a sleepover!"

"A sleepover?" questioned Rokurou.

"My friends at school keep having them," Eizen explained, "and they invite me a lot, but I don't think I could sleep in the city, with all the stone and people and lights. But it sounds like a lot of fun!" He turned to Edna again. "Please, big sis? You never let us in your room, so it'll be just as special as staying over at a friend's house."

It was true that Edna had kept everyone out of her room once it was completed, including the man who had built it; it was her space, where she could be alone and commune with the earth, as well as take a break from dealing with people. But with her baby brother's wide, shining eyes begging her, she found that she couldn't say no.

"…Fine," she finally sighed. "But only as long as 'uncle Zaveid' insists on staying here."

"Yay!" Eizen shouted, leaping up from his seat. "I'll start moving my stuff over!"

"You're not moving into my room permanently!" Edna shouted as he ran to the ladder to the front of the treehouse.

"Eizen, come back and wash your dishes!" Velvet called after him at almost the same time.

But the boy was too excited to slow down. Not until he'd moved most of his clothes and three of his favorite toys from his room to the door of Edna's little separate space by the stream could his mother catch him and make him do his chores, though he did them in the end. After everyone else was settled and Zaveid was comfortably in his temporary room, Edna unlocked the door to her personal chambers and let her little brother inside.

"Wow," he breathed, his wide eyes peeking over the pile of stuff he'd brought. "It's so big…"

"You can put all your things on that table over there," Edna told him, pointing her umbrella at a bedside table opposite the side she liked to sleep on. "That'll be your side of the bed."

"Your bed is huge, big sis!" Eizen exclaimed, obediently setting his things down where she'd indicated. "How come it's surrounded by curtains?"

"Because I'm a lady," Edna replied, dousing all the lanterns but the one on her side of the bed. "And there have to be some rules if you're going to stay in here: Always bathe before getting in bed, and never get in my bed with your shoes on. No opening any drawers or closets, and if you want to sit on that cushion over there, you have to ask first and make sure I won't be using it."

"Okay!" Eizen chirped, taking off his little black tunic. "I'll go wash off in the stream right now!"

"Good," Edna said, and she pointed to a smaller door across the room. "You can use my washroom if you like; it's why this is built by the stream. But don't get any dirt on yourself afterwards or you'll have to wash off again. These sheets stain easily."

Eizen frowned very seriously, then carefully set his toys aside on his bedside table and picked up his pile of clothes. Curious as to where this was going, Edna sat back on the bed and watched as he carried all his clothing to the bathroom door, opened it, and started laying a path made of his own garments from the stream to the side of the bed so he wouldn't step in the dirt of the floor.

"How come your floor's so dirty, big sis?" he asked as he finished.

"I'm an earth seraph," Edna replied. "It would be wrong for me to live in a room that _didn't_ have a dirt floor. And it's not that the floor is dirty, it's just that the ground is the floor."

"An earth seraph…" Eizen repeated to himself even as he hopped across his clothes to the washroom.

Sighing, Edna took off her boots and set them beside her, leaned her umbrella against the wall, and scooted onto the pink silk sheets that covered the wide, plush feather bed. Instead of lying down, she sat in front of her pillow, hugging her knees, waiting for Eizen. Her baby brother took a surprisingly long time cleaning himself before he carefully made his way back across the path he'd made, towel-dried and half-dressed. When at last he reached Edna's bed, he pushed aside the lace curtains and hopped on, climbing over to sit beside his big sister.

"Hey, big sis?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"How come you don't get any bigger?" Eizen questioned. "We're learning all about seraphim in school, but I've never heard of a seraph who looks so…so close to my age."

"Seraphim aren't made of flesh and blood," Edna told him; "you must have learned that. What that means is that for us, the mind controls the body. We come into being with certain traits, but we can control how those traits change. I…I chose not to age once I was this big."

"Chose not to age?" Eizen asked. "So…so you'll just live forever, then?"

"Not forever," Edna answered. "Whether we let ourselves age or not, seraphim aren't immortal. We all have a set time in this world. None of us knows exactly how long we have - some only live to be a little over a thousand years old, others can live tens of thousands of years. And aging or not aging doesn't affect it."

"So how will you know?" Eizen asked.

"When we have a year left, we know," Edna replied. "It's known as 'the Call'. Apparently, it's a…disjointed feeling, like our spirits are trying to separate from our bodies. We can take oaths to extend our lives once that happens, if there's still something we need to do, but most of us are ready to go when our time comes."

"…How old are you, big sis?" Eizen asked. "Will you feel the Call soon?"

"I'm only a couple thousand years old," Edna replied; if anyone else had asked, she would have been offended, but this was her baby brother. "I don't plan to die for a long time."

"Huh." Eizen yawned.

"Tired, baby brother?" Edna smirked.

"Dad's training is getting harder," Eizen replied, "and school is too."

"Then it's time to go to bed," Edna said, lifting a rock with her earth powers to douse the last lantern so she wouldn't have to get up.

"But David always says people play games at sleepovers," Eizen protested even as the last light was extinguished.

"Not tonight," Edna said, turning over to get under her smooth, soft sheets. "Tomorrow's a school day, and you've done a lot today. I bet David doesn't have to train with his father like you do yours."

"Yeah, most people don't train like that," Eizen agreed as he got in his side of the bed. "How come my dad's always so strict?"

"It's a family thing for him," Edna informed Eizen; Velvet and Rokurou still hadn't told their children about their origins, agreeing to wait until they were asked, but this much could be explained, Edna was sure. "His ancestors fought using this really special style, and he's proud of it. He probably thinks it's your birthright or something."

"My family…isn't normal, huh?" Eizen asked softly.

"…No," Edna replied. "But that's okay. Why would anyone want to be normal? Normal people are losers."

Eizen giggled and didn't press the matter, much to her relief. "Good night, big sis," he said, snuggling into the spare pillow.

"Good night, baby brother."

~X~

Incredibly, Zaveid really did insist on not leaving the treehouse until Velvet's next child was born; after a month, Edna finally had to admit he was serious. He fussed over Velvet almost as much as Rokurou did, and the two men tried desperately to work together to imitate her cooking, with disastrous results that were at least good for a laugh. At first, Edna thought he was being stupid, but it quickly became apparent that this pregnancy was a lot harder on Velvet than the previous ones had been. There was lots of vomiting, stomach pain, headaches…some days she couldn't get out of bed. Even Edna found herself fussing a little, when she wasn't chasing Niko around to make her be more quiet around her ailing mother.

On the other hand, sharing her room with Eizen was actually kind of nice. He was very careful not to make a mess and to follow all her rules, and eventually Edna started cutting him some slack with use of her furniture. It wasn't like sharing a home with his namesake…and yet, at the same time, it sort of was. They talked and played games and she helped him with his homework, learning new things herself in the process. What had once been her sanctuary was now _their_ sanctuary, and Edna found herself dreading the day when Eizen would move back into his own room.

Slowly, more painfully than before, Velvet's third child grew inside her, until she had to be helped up the stairs every night, then carried. Edna tried not to worry - maybe this was just something that happened the more pregnancies a human went through - but it seemed more like a disease than the start of a new person. Despite all her bitterness, Edna found herself hoping for the woman who had once told her what she'd always known: hope is a waste.

When Velvet finally went into labor, Eizen had just gone to school, and Edna had to trap Niko in a stone pen to keep her from interfering. Velvet had been resting by the stream when the labor pains came, and even with Zaveid and Rokurou helping her, she barely made it back into the clearing before she collapsed in agony. Quickly, the two men worked to make her comfortable where she was; Rokurou turned her over, Zaveid carried the mattress out from their room, and both helped her onto it. Rokurou then ran and got the bowl of embers and the towels, setting everything up right there in the undergrowth.

"Alright, step aside," Edna said, taking off her gloves and setting them and her umbrella in the grass once Velvet was in position. "You know the drill."

"Whoa, hey, slow down there," Zaveid told her, leaping over to stand in her way as she approached Velvet's convulsing figure. "Why don't you let me handle this one?"

"Seriously?" Edna asked.

"Sure!" Zaveid grinned. "You delivered the last two. Why do you think I wanted to be here? I'll handle this."

Shock and disgust flooded Edna from her hairband to her boots. "You are disgusting," she told him coldly. "I can't believe you would stoop this low."

"Huh?" Zaveid blinked, looking genuinely confused. "What are you…? Wait. Wait, you think I-? No! No, no, no no no no no, that's not what I mean!" he exclaimed, waving his hands. "Why would you think that?!"

"Because you're you," Edna stated.

"Edna, what kind of man do you think I am, exactly?" he asked her, appearing genuinely offended. "I just want to help. We're family, right? That's all it is. I just want to help."

"Well, you can help by getting out of my way," Edna said. "I've actually done this before, and it's a woman's job anyway."

"That is not fair," Zaveid stated. "I am perfectly capable of-"

"_You_," Edna began pointedly, "have no business with-"

"Edna."

Both seraphim stopped and turned to the panting woman.

"It's okay," she croaked. "I trust Zaveid. If he - _aaaagh_! - wants to help, let him." She cried out as more contractions rippled through her; Rokurou squeezed her hand and murmured encouragement. "It's okay," she repeated, gasping for air. "It's okay…"

Zaveid smiled, and Edna sighed and stepped back. "Fine," she muttered, grabbing her gloves and umbrella. "Your call. But I'll be watching."

She tried not to hover as Zaveid waited to help the new child into the world, but she couldn't help watching for him to do something she wouldn't. He didn't, though; he seemed entirely focused on the task at hand, as though he was actually capable of respecting a moment like this. Not once did he lay a single finger on Velvet until the baby was almost out, and even then, he did only what Edna would have done. Then, at last, there was a newborn baby in his arms.

Eizen had come out crying; Niko had come out wailing. This one…this one came out whimpering. It took a few moments for the baby to cry properly, and even then, it sounded…weak. Hopping up to see what Zaveid held in his arms, though it was hard to tell, Edna thought it looked pale, too, and a little skinny.

"It's a girl!" Zaveid announced, reaching for the towels.

"Leave the tube alone," Edna told him.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, not taking his eyes off the tiny creature. "I know."

Rokurou planted his sword in the embers, kissed his wife, and stood up to tie the knot in the umbilical cord like always.

"Babies are really something," Zaveid murmured reverently, gently dabbing at the little thing with a towel. "To think that humans come into the world so weak, so small, and after so much struggle…yet they can do such incredible things after just a few years…"

"I don't think they're supposed to be _that_ weak," Edna commented as Rokurou cut the cord. When Zaveid didn't reply, she jabbed him in the arm. "Hey, bozo. You're not the mom here. Let Velvet see her kid."

"Huh? Oh, right." Tenderly, Zaveid wrapped the newborn in warm towels, then gave her to her mother.

As Rokurou sat down with her, Velvet brought the child to her chest, exhausted but smiling. _At least this one's over,_ Edna thought. _Maybe everything will be okay now._ But some seraphic instinct told her she shouldn't count on that.

"Come on, sweetie," Velvet cooed, hugging her baby closer. "Come on and eat. There's plenty of milk for you. Come on…that's it, that's it…"

Edna couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief as the child started to nurse. Leaning in to get a better look, she could tell something was different about this one. "She looks…sick," Edna said. "All pale and skinny. Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Rokurou insisted. "Hey, Magilou said she was pretty weak as a child too, remember?" he murmured to his wife. "And look how she turned out. I'm sure our girl will be the same. You wanna name her Magilou?"

"I…" Sadness clouded Velvet's face for just a moment, like a bird flitting across the sun, but Edna didn't miss it. "I want…I want to name her Celica. After my sister. Okay?"

"Alright, but the next kid we have is going to be called Magilou," Rokurou told her with a smile. "Even if it's a boy."

"Baby Cellie," Zaveid said, still smiling a purely happy smile. "Welcome to the world, kiddo."

"Cellie," Edna repeated. "Yeah, that works, I guess." At the back of her mind, she used her seraphic power to lower the stone fortress she'd kept around the little monster they lived with, and within five seconds, tiny feet were pattering through the grass.

"I wanna _see_!" Niko cried, hurling herself at her family.

"Slow down, Niko," Rokurou said as Edna and Zaveid parted slightly.

For the first time in her life, Niko did slow down, skidding to a stop as soon as she could see her mother. "Mommy?" she asked. "You don't look so good…"

"I'm fine, Niko," Velvet told her daughter. "I'm okay."

Edna had never seen Niko walk anywhere, but she was walking now, approaching her mother and her newborn sibling slowly.

"Niko," Velvet said gently, dropping her arm a bit so Niko could see the bundle in her arms, "this is Celica, your baby sister."

"Celica," Niko repeated, and she tilted her head. "She looks…small."

"She's just a little frail," Velvet said. "Weak. Not strong, like you. So you're going to have to be gentle with her, okay? Can you do that?"

Niko reached out a hand, slowly, to touch her newborn sister's little face. "Baby sister," she said softly. "My baby sister. Celica."

Though Cellie was weak and it clearly took a lot of effort, the tiny baby lifted a hand to brush it against her older sister's fingers.

"She knows me," Niko said, smiling. "My sister knows me."

"Of course she does," Velvet smiled. "We're family."

"Family…"

Whatever was wrong with little Cellie, Edna suddenly found herself thanking the gods that she had been born. Finally, after more than three years of hopelessness, Niko was acting like she might actually grow up one day.

~X~

Zaveid hung around for a couple more days, and Eizen moved his things back into his room when the wind seraph took off again. It left Edna with an odd sense of loss to be alone in her room again, but that was nothing compared to the relief she felt that little monster Niko was finally behaving.

It was incredible, the transformation the toddler underwent now that she had a sickly little sister to look after. Sure, she was still selfish and needy, but now her wants and needs mostly revolved around taking care of Celica. That was okay with everyone, though, because Celica didn't get any stronger with time.

Weeks passed, then months. Every several days, Celica would come down with a fever and have to be tended to for a day and a night. Eizen wanted to help, but he had school work, and his parents insisted that he not skip his studies; everyone else rotated looking after Cellie when the time came, and Niko always wanted longer shifts. Edna had never seen her be gentle with anything, but around Celica, Niko would actually speak at a normal volume and move at a walking speed, nothing that would harm her baby sister.

Just past Celica's first birthday, she said her first word: "dada". Her weak little hands would reach for her father whenever he was near, and whenever he picked her up, she would stop crying. Not that she cried when someone else touched her, but it was clear from an early age that Celica was attached to her father. Rokurou would grin and say she was a true Rangetsu, that he couldn't wait to start training her once she was older and stopped getting sick and see what natural skill she had for his family's techniques.

But she didn't stop getting sick. Every few visits, Zaveid would find the family on watch, taking care of the feverish child, and he'd immediately take the next shift, watching over the child he'd helped into the world with a seriousness that surprised Edna. He'd summon a gentle breeze to cool her down and murmur nonsense words to her, and she would settle into sleep, even though she didn't get better.

In all, things around the treehouse were quieter now. There was a somber feel to the place sometimes, but other times it was as happy as it had ever been. Niko and Eizen actually bonded over the solids from the baby food Rokurou prepared for Cellie, until they were almost something like friends, and Niko agreed to start training with her father and help her mother with the chores, even weeding the little vegetable garden they kept by the stream. Some days there would be laughter, the laughter of more than one child, and a sort of peace seemed to embrace the home, all brought on by the sickly little Celica.

This was almost enough for Edna to ignore the foreboding feeling in her gut.

When Niko was finally old enough to go to school with her brother, though Lailah would remark that she wasn't the best-behaved child in the world, there were no parent-teacher meetings about any major issues. Funnily enough, it was during her training with her father that she became a nuisance again, as she had no qualms about fighting dirty - tripping, hair pulling, dirt throwing, the girl would do anything to win, and no matter how many times her father tried to explain the concept of honor to her, she couldn't understand why it mattered how she won so long as she did. Privately, Edna agreed with her on that much, but it drove Rokurou half crazy, and Velvet and Edna shared quite a few giggles over his little crises when his own child refused to understand him.

Then, one night, Zaveid was visiting, and the children had all been put to bed. It was adult time, and the wind seraph came outside from soothing Cellie to sit with Rokurou and Edna as Velvet finished washing the dishes.

"You know," he mused, sitting back and taking a drink from Rokurou, "I thought Celica would grow out of this by now."

"She's only a little over two years old," Rokurou pointed out as Velvet walked past with a cauldron full of clean dishes.

"Yeah, but it seems like her fevers are getting worse," Zaveid said. "And she gets 'em every couple of weeks like clockwork-"

_THUD!_

Everyone looked up at the sound of the pot thumping to the ground, and the subsequent clatter as the dishes went flying. Velvet made no move to pick them up; her arms were slack by her side, her feet rooted in place.

"Velvet?" Rokurou asked, standing up.

She didn't respond, but he lunged forward.

"Velvet!" he shouted, and he caught her in his arms as she collapsed, slowly lowering her to her knees. "Velvet…Vel…"

"What's going on?" Zaveid asked as he and Edna jogged over. "What's wrong?"

Rokurou held up a hand for silence, and Edna heard Velvet muttering under her breath.

"Worse…" Edna managed to make out. "…fever…worse…like clockwork…every two weeks…twelve days…just like…like Laphi…"

"Wait," Rokurou gasped, his eyes widening in what looked like horror. "You don't think…?"

"I know," Velvet whimpered, looking up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I knew, but I…I didn't want to know…"

"What is it?" Zaveid pressed. "Tell us, what's the big deal?"

Balling her fists in Rokurou's kimono, Velvet squeezed her eyes shut and choked out, "Celica has the Twelve Year Sickness!" And she dissolved into tears.

Zaveid yelped a curse so vulgar that Edna's first instinct was to bury him then and there for using such language in the presence of a lady. One glance at his face stayed her hand, as it suggested he wasn't using the word in vain, though she still prayed that none of the children had heard it. "What is the Twelve Year Sickness?" she asked instead. "I know I've heard of it, but…remind me what it is?"

"The Twelve Year Sickness," Zaveid sighed heavily, "is a…a horrible, very rare, very deadly illness that only affects children. No one knows what causes it; some say kids are born with it, but nothing's ever been proven. What is known is that anyone afflicted comes down with a fever every twelve days, each one a bit worse than the last…and when they turn twelve years old, they die. Hence the name."

Edna gasped, almost cursing herself. "So what do we do?" she exclaimed. "How do we stop it?"

"There's nothing we can do," Zaveid replied gravely. "There's no treatment, no stopping it. No one has ever survived past age twelve with the Twelve Year Sickness."

"That's not true."

Zaveid and Edna started at Rokurou's sudden declaration.

"One person has," he went on, all his attention on his wife. "Videl, remember? We made an Omega Elixir once, we can do it again."

"Wait, you made an Omega Elixir?!" Zaveid exclaimed. "Why didn't Eizen ever tell me about that?!"

"Why didn't _Maotelus_ tell us about that?" Edna added. "You'd think that would have been his go-to when telling us how wonderful Velvet was."

"Maotelus was the one who made it," Velvet whimpered through her tears.

"We helped!" Rokurou protested, and he held Velvet closer, stroking her hair. "We did it once, Vel," he told her soothingly. "We can do it again. We just need the ingredients. Do you remember what they were?"

"I…I'll never forget," Velvet whispered, her sobs easing for the moment. "Long Dau's Dust…a Unicorn Horn…a Cloud Sheep's Egg…a World Tree Leaf…and…and…!" Her voice cracked again. "And a malak's tears!" she cried. "But there are no more malakhim!"

"Malakhim are seraphim," Rokurou stated, rocking slightly as he tried to soothe his wife. "I'm sure a seraph's tears will work."

"No, she's right," Edna said, keeping her voice neutral. "It's not just the name that changed with the times; now that we can produce our own malevolence, even if only a little, our tears probably wouldn't be pure enough."

"That's no reason not to try," Rokurou said firmly, looking up at the seraphim at last. "And we have two seraphim, seraphim old enough to have been malakhim. I'm sure it'll work."

"Even if they did, you need those other things," Edna reminded him. "And I've never heard of any of those items."

"I…might have heard of them in passing…" Zaveid said slowly. "I wouldn't know where to find them, though."

"We found them in the space of a few weeks during our adventure," Rokurou said. "It can't be too hard."

"The land has shifted drastically since then," Edna pointed out. "Those places where you found the ingredients before might not exist today."

"But the ingredients must!" Rokurou insisted. "And we'll find them. We'll find them," he repeated, turning back to Velvet. "We have just under ten years before the disease takes Cellie, that's more than enough time to find the ingredients and save her. She'll be fine."

"Rokurou," Velvet whimpered, lifting her head to look at him as tears continued streaming down her face, "we can't. We can't go. We have children to take care of."

"And we'll be taking care of our youngest by going out-"

"We can't just abandon them!" Velvet protested. "We're their _parents_, Rokurou! We have to stay here with them - _all_ of them, not just Cellie!"

"But-"

"_I'll_ find them."

All the attention shifted to Zaveid as he stepped forward.

"Just write down those ingredients, and I'll find 'em myself," he told the family. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'll scour libraries for references, I'll meet up with Sorey and Mikleo and ask if they know anything, I'll search from the tundras in the north to the ravines of the south, I'll scour the far continent and travel to the most distant corners of the earth, whatever it takes; I _will_ find those ingredients for you." He cracked a smile, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Don't you worry. There ain't nothing that can hide from the wind."

"This isn't your fault, you know," Edna told him.

Zaveid flinched, then chuckled. "Oh, Edna," he said, "how am I supposed to resist a woman who can see straight into my heart?"

"That counts," she informed him.

"Yeah, well…I'm gonna be gone for a while, so, I figured I'd take the chance while I got it," Zaveid smirked. "To be serious…well, you don't know that this isn't my fault. It could be."

"Please," Edna huffed, "you said yourself no one knows what, if anything, causes the Twelve Year Sickness. If it had something to do with a seraph doing something wrong during a delivery, someone would have figured that out by now. I'm more inclined to say she was born with it, considering how bad Velvet's pregnancy was."

"Yes, Zaveid, this isn't your fault," Velvet concurred in a broken voice. "If…If anyone is to blame, it's me. My mother's third child had the Twelve Year Sickness, too."

"But Videl was an only child," Rokurou pointed out. "It wouldn't make sense for it to run in families…"

"Why does it matter whose fault it is?" Edna asked. "Let's just agree that it's no one's fault and focus on what we're going to do about it."

"I'm still going to find those ingredients," Zaveid said. "Just write 'em down, and I'll go out and find 'em. Doesn't matter if it's my fault or not, I brought her into the world, she's my responsibility too. Besides, we're family! I travel the world all the time anyway, it's no sacrifice to me. I'll find the ingredients."

"Zaveid…thank you," Velvet whimpered. "Thank you…"

"Don't mention it," Zaveid grinned. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll take care of this. I promise you…" He clasped a fist over his bare chest. "I give you my oath as a seraph, I will find those ingredients, no matter what I have to do or how far I have to go."

Mana crackled through the air for a moment as Zaveid bound himself to his vow. Edna wondered what the other side of this deal was, as seraphic oaths were always give and take, but didn't ask.

"Do come back sometimes, though," Velvet told him. "Please? You don't have to bring back an ingredient every time. Try to…to at least be here for birthdays, maybe?"

"Parties wouldn't be the same without your artes," Edna concurred.

"I'll try," Zaveid sighed, "but first and foremost, I'll be focusing on finding the ingredients."

"I'll write them down for you," Velvet sighed, and Rokurou helped her to her feet. "Thank you, Zaveid…thank you."

"Don't thank him yet," Edna muttered. Oaths were fine and good, but it wasn't worth much if the ingredients weren't out there to be found.

~X~

The next day, after Zaveid had gone, Velvet and Rokurou sat Eizen and Niko down and explained to them that Celica was very, very sick, and Zaveid wouldn't be visiting as often because he was out searching for ingredients for the medicine she needed. Edna informed Lailah later that day that Celica wouldn't be attending school unless she got better, and Lailah agreed, with her deepest condolences.

Months passed without any sign of Zaveid, but when he returned, he came bearing a sharp, spiral bone that seemed to hold water mana: a Unicorn Horn. Velvet burst into tears when he presented it to her, clutching it against her heart as though it alone would save her sick daughter, and Zaveid spent the rest of the day describing the research he'd done that had led him to the frozen land to the north, which he depicted for all three kids with his illusory artes as he told of digging through snow along the icy shores for weeks in search of the item that was in fact the tusk of a deep-sea creature. When Velvet begged him to tell her he'd put on a jacket or at least gloves during this endeavor, he confessed that he had not, and as the children marveled at the conjured icy landscape, Edna marveled at Zaveid's incredible stupidity.

It took more than a year for him to eventually obtain a Cloud Sheep's Egg, though he did stop in for birthdays, as Velvet had asked; since these were the only times he reliably came by anymore, it quickly became routine for his yearly propositions to Edna to take place on Celica's birthdays. Edna built a box out of stone using her seraph powers to store the ingredients, which went in Celica's room. All three children grew, and Celica became sicker, though she spent every waking moment of health watching her father train her siblings in the Rangetsu style. She tried to join in sometimes, but Velvet wouldn't let Rokurou teach her anything but meditation and focus, which she grumbled about whenever she had energy to spare.

Then, after a couple more years, Zaveid suddenly stopped visiting, each of the children's birthdays passing without any sign of him. It was during this time that, one day, when Eizen was thirteen, he came home from school in a bad mood, and didn't say a word to anyone until dinner.

"Mom," he said.

"Yes, sweetie?" Velvet asked.

"I tried to talk to Sadie today," he told her.

Edna perked up; Eizen had been crushing on that girl since he first saw her golden hair.

"Oh?" Rokurou asked. "How did that go?"

"Horrible," Eizen grumbled, stabbing at his stew. "She didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Velvet began gently.

"She did tell me why, though," Eizen went on, and he glared at his mother. "She said it was because her family thinks I'm the son of the ancient monsters."

Stunned silence fell over the clearing.

"Mom," Eizen said at last, setting his bowl aside and standing up, "I know our family isn't normal. We live out in the middle of nowhere, far away from any settlement, Ladylake is an hour away on foot. No one else lives like that - everyone else in school lives in Ladylake, some in Marlind, but no one else lives alone. You never go into town, and father hardly ever does either. I never cared before, but…" He clenched his fists. "Why?" he asked, almost angrily. "Why do we live out here? What is it about our family that makes us so different? Is Sadie right?"

Velvet and Rokurou shared a long, sad look, and she sighed. "You're right," she said, "we're not normal. And your father and I agreed that we would tell you all about it when you were old enough to ask. But-"

"No buts!" Eizen shouted. "Why are all our family seraphim? No one else has seraph families, everyone has human families! Where's the rest of _our_ human family?"

"Yeah, and what's with all this 'Rangetsu style' stuff dad always talks about?" Niko piped up, leaping to her feet as well. "I mention that my dad's teaching it to me, and no one has any idea what I mean!"

"How do you know about my disease?" Celica asked softly from where she sat. "How do you know how to treat it?"

"We will tell you," Velvet said. "We will. But it's a really long story, and we're going to need Zaveid's help to tell it."

"Why do we need uncle Zaveid's help?" Eizen demanded.

"His illusory artes," Edna piped up. "We agreed that he'd do half the telling by _showing_ you what happened at the same time."

"Uncle Zaveid hasn't visited in over a year," Niko snapped. "He might never come back!"

"He will," Velvet said, and Edna wondered if her children could hear the pained desperation in her voice. "He promised he would."

"Yeah, but when?" Eizen asked pointedly. "It could be another year before he returns, if he ever does!"

"We made the agreement before Cellie was born," Edna stated. "There was no way we could know he'd have to go scouring the world for Omega Elixir ingredients. Have some patience, baby brother," she added. "It really is a long story, and it would take days without Zaveid's help."

"Edna." Eizen turned on her, his golden eyes hard. "How much do you know?"

"Not much," Edna answered. "Not nearly enough to give you the answers you're after. I'm rather curious to hear the whole story myself."

"You're going to find out everything when we have the means to tell you," Rokurou spoke up, his tone stern. "In the meantime, sit down and eat the dinner your mother made for you. You're lucky to have her cook your meals."

Eizen sighed, running a hand through the shaggy black hair he'd inherited from his father, then sat back down and grabbed his bowl. Niko glared at her parents, but stiffly took her seat, too.

"We'll tell you everything," Velvet repeated. "We promise. Please, just wait a little while."

~o~

There was tension around the treehouse from then on; Edna had never wanted to see Zaveid more in her life. She was used to being on the outs with Niko, but now there was a wall between her and Eizen that she didn't know how to breach, and it made her want to go back to Rayfalke and forget she'd ever had a family.

Days passed, until the weekend came, which Edna knew would only bring more discomfort since Niko and Eizen wouldn't be in school for two days. Dinner was held in grudging silence, as every dinner had been since Eizen had asked to know his parents' story. It was so silent that the moment footsteps started crunching through the grass, everyone immediately froze and turned in the direction of the sound.

"Hey, hey!" Zaveid called, strolling across the clearing and into the firelight. "I hope you saved a little for me?"

"Uncle Zaveid!" Celica exclaimed, standing up in excitement, though she couldn't muster the energy to run for him. "You came back!"

"'Course I did," Zaveid replied, though Edna noticed he looked a little unsteady on his feet. "I'm sorry I've been gone so long, but it was worth it. Check it out!"

He tossed a small pouch at Velvet, which she caught easily. Opening it, her eyes went round. "Is this…?"

"Long Dau's Dust!" Zaveid declared, puffing out his chest proudly. "I tell ya, I literally went around the world looking for that one, the only batch left was in an obscure corner of the far continent. I joined up with Sorey and Mikboy and we went looking together, but then I had to come back and reenact my Sub Lord Pact after we were attacked by a lion hellion and I couldn't help. We lost a good month or so on that, but it's a damn good thing I did it, because not two days after I joined back up with them-"

"Zaveid," Velvet said gently, cutting him off. She held the pouch against her heart. "Thank you," she told him, "thank you for going so far to find this. And I would love to hear all about what you did to get it, but…but there's another story you need to help us tell, first."

Zaveid blinked, then looked at where the three kids sat together, expectant eyes fixed on him. "Huh…I see," he said, his smile fading. "Right…well, look, I haven't slept since our ship landed in the north just trying to get this back to you as fast as I could, and what you're asking is going to take a long, sustained series of artes. Mind if I at least get some rest first?"

"We've been waiting for you for three days," Niko told him grumpily. "Mom and dad promised they'd tell us everything as soon as you got back."

"Aw, hell…" Zaveid groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. Even Edna could tell he was exhausted.

"If you want the story told right, Zaveid needs to be rested," she told the three. "Artes aren't easy to cast, you know, and illusory artes take more energy than most seraphim even have. He's worked himself to his limit just trying to get medicine for Cellie. You can give him one night."

"Edna's right," Eizen sighed. "We've waited this long, we can wait until tomorrow morning. We need to sleep too, anyway." He held out his half-finished plate of prickleboar sausages and salad to the wind seraph. "Here, you can have the rest, you must be hungry too."

Niko grumbled, but Celica nodded, and Zaveid didn't even ask if Eizen was sure about the food before grabbing it and wolfing it down in three bites.

"You can have my room again," Eizen added to him; "I'll stay with Edna, just like when we were waiting for Cellie to be born."

"You sure?" Zaveid and Edna both asked at once.

Eizen nodded. "We've been impatient waiting for you to come home," he said, "but all this time, you've been working so hard for us. You deserve a proper bed and a good night's sleep."

"Not to mention there's no way we're letting you leave here until you help mom and dad tell their story," Niko added.

But Edna got the sense that that hadn't occurred to her baby brother at all. "If it's okay with you, Eizen, of course you can stay with me again," she said. "But you have to follow the same rules, okay?"

"Of course," Eizen said, nodding again. "Thanks, big sis."

With that, everyone finished eating and went to their respective rooms. It had been nearly six years since Edna had let Eizen into her room, and she wished they could be having another sleepover without all the weight between them. But Eizen was even more meticulous about following her rules than he had been when he was seven, washing carefully and not touching anything with anything but his boots until he got to her bed, dressed in loose black clothes and only slightly damp.

Once they were both settled, with only Edna's lantern still lit, Eizen sighed. "Do you really not know what mom and dad are going to tell us tomorrow?" he asked.

"I know bits," Edna replied, "but not much."

"How can that be?" Eizen demanded. "You're a seraph, Edna. You're centuries old!"

"I didn't participate in any of it," Edna replied; "I was on Rayfalke. My…my brother would know, but he's gone."

"I thought I was your brother," Eizen said.

"My seraph brother," Edna clarified. "He's been gone for a long time, but he was a friend of your parents while he was still around. Most of what I know, I know from letters he sent me while it was all happening. And I know he didn't tell me much…he was always trying to protect me."

"I…didn't know you had a seraph brother," Eizen said slowly.

"Yeah," Edna sighed.

"What was his name?"

Edna deliberated, wondering if this broke their deal. "…Eizen," she replied at last. "His name was Eizen." She looked up at him. "We named you after him. You were going to find out tomorrow, but…"

Slowly, Eizen nodded. "Thanks for telling me," he said, his tone neutral.

"Yeah." Edna reached over and put out her lantern. "We should get some sleep. You have a long story to hear tomorrow."

"Good night, big sis," Eizen said, settling into his spot.

"Good night, baby brother."

~o~

It was barely past dawn when Eizen and Edna were woken by pounding on Edna's bedroom door.

"Hey, wake up!" shouted Niko from outside. "It's morning, time to hear the story!"

Groaning, Eizen got up, slid into his boots, and strapped his katana to his waist - the sword had been a present from his father on his twelfth birthday, and he never parted with it. "Big sis?" he asked softly. "You ready?"

"I am now," Edna grumbled, getting up and putting on her boots and gloves before grabbing her umbrella. "It's not like I can go back to sleep at this point."

Just outside, everyone else was already gathered around the dead fire pit, even Celica. Edna eyed the cold, empty hole. "No breakfast?" she asked dully.

"We thought we'd make a platter that would last the day," Rokurou said, brandishing a large tray of fruits, crackers, cheese, and dried meats, all chopped into small pieces, presumably by Rokurou, Edna guessed so no one would have to waste time chewing. "This will take a while, and no one's going to have any time or energy to cook."

"There's plenty of clean water for all of us, too," Velvet added, gesturing to several jugs and cups beside her seat. "Anything to…help us through this." She sighed, her golden eyes glistening with sadness.

"Hey," Rokurou murmured, "it'll be fine. They have a right to know."

His wife nodded.

"Right," Zaveid declared, strolling forward. "I'm ready when you are."

"So I just…think the images, and you can recreate them?" Velvet asked as Edna sat down in her favorite spot and Eizen settled with his sisters.

"Yep!" Zaveid replied, cracking his knuckles dramatically. "They'll see what you see."

"You want to begin, Vel?" Rokurou asked. "You're the only one here who really knows how it all started."

"Yes…" Velvet took a long, deep breath, then met the expectant gazes of her children. "I grew up in a small village called Aball, far to the east," she began.

She was, Edna quickly realized, truly starting at the very, _very_ beginning - so far to the beginning that Edna wondered if maybe some of the story could have been skipped. So began a story of family and loss, scarlet nights and betrayal, and Edna got to see Cellie's namesake, the legendary cook, as well as Shepherd Artorius, the man who thought he could control a god. There was no hiding anything, not even for the sake of little Cellie; everyone watched as Velvet's family was destroyed, piece by piece, as she was made into a hellion and cast into the depths of a dark prison until a malak named Seres broke her free.

When she reached the part where she first met Rokurou, the images Zaveid conjured became clearer, as it now worked off of two minds instead of one, and Rokurou began to add his input to the tale. Edna met Magilou, the witch Rokurou had wanted to name his daughters after, and watched as the three set out on Velvet's quest for revenge. From there was told the befriending of the lizard hellion Dyle, the abduction of the young malak who would become Maotelus, and…and the meeting of Edna's brother.

As soon as Eizen joined the story, Edna's breath choked out of her lungs. To see him as he was after he left her, stoic and brutally honest but determined and fair, left her dizzy, though she tried to pay attention to the story as a whole as they described hunting down the therions, plotting to destroy everything that the people held as their only hope against what the humans of the time called 'daemonblight', and how they failed and Innominat arose wearing the face of Velvet's little brother. Velvet learned the truth, and with Maotelus's help, made her choice, and emerged from the earth embracing her role as Lord of Calamity.

Even as the main story was told, Velvet and Rokurou also went off on side tangents, describing other things they did, including the tale of Zaveid's loss, which he himself added his own input to, as well as other parts where he became involved; it almost reminded Edna of the role he first played in Sorey's journey, before he joined the group after Dezel's death. There was also the story of Videl, the boy afflicted with the Twelve Year Sickness whom Maotelus managed to cure when he was still Laphicet, and also, towards the end, of meeting an ancient rappig seraph on the Heavenly Steppes and learning the story that by now was relatively common knowledge - this, Edna realized, was how the world even found out about why malevolence does what it does.

When the story told of the battles with the people Edna could only think of as Shepherd Artorius's Squires, one thing she noticed neither of them talked about was what sort of family Rokurou came from, even as Zaveid recreated their memories of Rokurou's contests with his brother, the hatred between them. Edna suspected Rokurou had promised Velvet not to go into his family's backstory, lest his children get ideas she didn't want them to have, but she still wanted to know just how messed up the Rangetsu clan had really been.

It was all quite a tale, of family against family, friends against friends, students against teachers, men against gods. When Velvet awoke the Great Lords of the elements and they immediately pushed Innominat away, Edna found herself wondering what kind of role Innominat had really had among the Five. Then there was the final fight up within the crystalized form of Innominat himself, the death of Artorius, and Velvet sacrificing her life and her death to seal Innominat away forever.

From there, Velvet sat back and caught her breath as Rokurou continued alone, telling of how Maotelus rose to power and the group split up, malak Eizen leaving the story for good as Rokurou went on his own way. He told of faking his death, of searching for strength, of the centuries of nothing that passed until he ran into an illusion of Eizen conjured by Zaveid and his subsequent hunt for someone to help him release Velvet.

At last, Edna was able to speak up and add her own memories to the story, of meeting Rokurou and his sword-happy antics, of being pestered for hundreds of years before Sorey returned and they all went to find Maotelus and enter the earthpulse together. There was an odd wistfulness to Velvet's eyes as she saw herself sealed away within the earth, and watched as Rokurou wrenched the seal apart with his swords. Then she started adding her own recollections again, as they told of emerging back into the world, of Rokurou's debt to Sorey, of going out in the world and finding themselves.

Here, at last, Edna got a strong sense that the two parents were holding some things back from their children, but she didn't comment on it, instead watching passively as they helped each other to understand that they were broken, that life with malevolence was no life at all, and that they were too tired to go on as they were. By the time they got to the part where they confronted Maotelus to be purified at last, Edna glanced at the sky and saw that it was nearly dusk, even though they'd started at daybreak.

Finally, Velvet and Rokurou described how they endured the ultimate agony to be purified, and how the people of Ladylake still didn't trust them even when Maotelus himself declared them pure.

"Between the judgment and your father's attachment to this treehouse, we decided we would live out here," Velvet concluded, "together. We still had to shop in Ladylake from time to time, and we ran into Edna one day and invited her to join us. She did, and then brought Zaveid into the family, and the four of us have been living as a family ever since."

"They didn't want you to go out in the world," Edna added, "but when Zaveid and I saw how isolated you were out here, Eizen, we decided to trick Sorey into bringing Lailah and Mikleo here and forcing your mom to accept that you needed to go to school. She didn't put up nearly as much of a fight as we were expecting, and you know the rest."

With that, the story was done. Zaveid gave a dramatic exhalation of breath, then actually collapsed to the ground on his side. "One hell of a tale…" he murmured.

"Zaveid!" Velvet exclaimed, grabbing one of the jugs that still had water in it and rushing over to him. "Zaveid, here, have some water…"

She fussed over him for a minute, until a cocky smirk he gave her while she fed him some pieces of fruit made her laugh. "Oh, you're fine," she told him, and she returned to her seat…and faced her children, who hadn't moved since their mother had stopped speaking.

Silence stretched across the family for another long minute.

Velvet sighed and ran a finger over the scar on her left hand - the scar, Edna now knew, that marked where Artorius had cut her hand off so many centuries ago. "We're not the monsters we used to be," she said distantly, "but there are those who will never understand. I'm sorry…" She reached over and took Rokurou's hand, which he grasped in return, nodding. "…we're _both_ sorry, that this is the legacy you have to inherit. But we're proud of all three of you. You are the best things we ever did."

"Unless you count making Maotelus and the power of purification happen," Edna remarked.

Velvet laughed, though it didn't contain much mirth. "You three are the best things we ever did on purpose," she corrected herself.

None of the three young Rangetsu-Crowes replied for a moment, and Edna looked carefully at them. Celica's golden eyes were wide, while Eizen was sitting up straight with his eyes closed and his hands cupped in a circle in front of his navel, as he did whenever he was struggling with something internally. And Niko…

"So…" Niko shook her head, and a spark lit in her copper eyes, eyes she'd inherited from her father. "So wait, you're saying malevolence makes people immortal?!"

Immediately, everyone started and turned to the nine-year-old girl as she slowly flushed with anger.

"You've been alive for fifteen hundred years, all because of malevolence!" she exclaimed. "You're older than Maotelus, and it kept you alive and healthy and young-!"

"Niko!" Velvet exclaimed harshly. "Don't you dare say such things! Your father and I were broken and miserable as daemons!"

"Yeah, but you were _alive_!" Niko shouted, jumping to her feet. "It kept you alive even when you should have been dead!"

"There's a difference between living and not being dead," Rokurou said calmly. "Your mother and I weren't really living, we just sort of…existed. It's not an existence I'd wish on anyone-"

"But you survived!" Niko insisted. "Malevolence did that for you, so it can do that for Cellie too! We don't have to bother with all this Omega Elixir stuff, all we have to do is turn Cellie into a hellion and she'll be okay!"

"Are you stupid?" Edna asked tonelessly, as everyone else stared at the girl in shock.

"It seems like everyone else is stupid!" Niko snapped. "I always thought it was weird that everyone thinks malevolence is such a bad thing when everything in the world uses it so easily - a Shepherd has to run around burning it out of stuff, and it keeps coming back! And now you're telling me it makes people live forever? It's not a bad thing at all! It's all we need to save Cellie!"

"Kid, have you been listening to a single word any of us said?" Zaveid growled, pushing himself up slightly to face Niko, his eyes burning with anger. "Malevolence is a curse, not a cure. Malevolence took everything from all of us, and it takes everything from everyone it infects. If Celica became a hellion, she wouldn't be herself anymore, she'd be mindless and vicious like every other monster that falls to malevolence. Better to be dead than to be that."

"Zaveid, calm down," Velvet told him gently. She turned on her wayward daughter with hardened eyes and added, "Niko, your father and I weren't really alive, we were just…not dead. I wasn't able to exist without feeling hatred; your father couldn't feel anything at all. We were broken, and neither of us would go back to that existence for the world. Living isn't the same as not dying."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Niko shouted.

"You'll understand when you're older," Velvet told her. "But you're wrong, Niko, very wrong. Malevolence isn't a cure."

Niko grumbled angrily and stomped into the treehouse, presumably to go to her room.

No one said anything for a long time.

"Well," Rokurou said at last, "that could have gone over a lot worse."

"It's late," Velvet noted, looking at the sky. "And we all have a lot to think about. Eizen, Cellie, whatever you want to do for the rest of the day, please just…take care of yourselves. Your father and I will handle the chores."

"Hey, what about me?" Zaveid asked from his position on the ground. "If everyone else is done with the snacks, can I have some?"

"Yeah," Eizen said, speaking for the first time since the story began, standing up and brining the tray over to the wind seraph; everyone had snacked on the food there throughout the tale, but there was still some cheese, crackers, and fruit. "I'm done, you can have the rest. Unless you wanted more, Cellie?"

"No," said the young girl in a faint voice. "I'm not hungry."

"Do you want to take my room tonight, too?" Eizen asked Zaveid. "You look exhausted."

"If you don't mind, I won't complain," Zaveid mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"I don't if Edna doesn't," Eizen said, turning to Edna.

"Of course," she said. "You can stay with me again."

"I'd like to," Eizen said, almost to himself.

Edna nodded.

"Daddy?" Celica asked after a moment. "I'm sleepy. Will you carry me to my room?"

"Of course, princess," Rokurou told his daughter, grinning and standing up. "Grab on."

Rokurou took his daughter to her bed, Velvet washed the handful of dishes and jugs, and Zaveid ate until there was nothing left to eat, then lay on his side until Rokurou came back out to help him up to Eizen's room. Eizen sat beside the door to Edna's room until she finally walked away from the clearing and opened the door to let them both in.

That night, once they were both clean and in bed, the only light coming from Edna's bedside lantern, the two of them sat on their respective sides, hugging their knees, a sad tension between them.

"…You okay?" Edna eventually asked.

"It's…a lot to take in," Eizen sighed.

"Yeah…You wanna talk about it?"

"Maybe." A pause. "So…so that seraph my parents were friends with," Eizen finally said slowly. "He was your brother?"

"Yes," Edna answered. "He turned into a dragon a few centuries later. When Sorey rose as the Shepherd, he and Zaveid worked together with the rest of our group to take my brother down and put him out of his misery, just like he did to Zaveid's girlfriend."

"Malevolence is…horrible," Eizen muttered. "I don't understand what Niko's thinking; malevolence is such a terrible curse. And, I mean…it's hard to believe so much happened because a few hellions attacked a small village. That's what started it all, really."

"True." Edna hadn't really thought about that.

"I guess…the past is in the past," Eizen sighed after a minute. "All that suffering…all that chaos…but in the end, even the ones who suffered most managed to find happiness. The world is a better place now, and…and…it's all over. We can move on."

"Some people won't," Edna pointed out. "Sadie's parents being some of them. And there will be a lot of humans like that. Humans tend to judge and fear anything they don't understand."

"And there's no way most people could ever understand what my parents went through," Eizen agreed. "Yeah, I know…but…I think I'm going to start telling people."

"Telling people?" Edna repeated, turning to him in surprise.

"Yeah." Incredibly, he smiled. "I'll start with David, my best friend, but I'm going to tell people that my parents were hellions once, and they struggled for a long time to find their way back to being human. I want everyone to know what my family really is. Maybe…maybe some people will understand. And if they don't, that's their problem."

Edna blinked a few times. "That's…brave of you," she managed.

"Heh, thanks." With a sigh, Eizen collapsed back on her bed. "Ugh, I'm tired. Maybe things will be clearer tomorrow."

"I hope so," Edna murmured, reaching over to put out the lantern. "You're handling this really well, though."

"Thanks, big sis." he sighed, settling in. "Good night."

"Good night…Eizen."

~X~

Zaveid stayed for a week, trying to make up for missing everyone's birthdays by using his artes to tell stories whenever he got his strength up, regaling the family with the tale of his quest to obtain Long Dau's Dust, which involved wildcat hellions and giant sea monsters. Edna and Eizen reconnected over this time, sharing her room and working and playing together like they had six years prior.

In school, Eizen was open about his family's story, and a surprising number of his classmates respected what he told them. There were a few who shunned him, of course; Edna sometimes heard kids call him and Niko "hellion-spawn", but Eizen didn't engage with any of them. The only exception was with Sadie, whose judgment he took hard, but he accepted that she would never accept him. With the kids who were already his friends, though, it actually seemed to bring them closer; Eizen invited David over on his fourteenth birthday, and a new human set foot in the treehouse, even showing a surprising amount of respect to Velvet and Rokurou.

Niko, meanwhile, became obsessed with the idea of malevolence as a panacea for all of life's ailments. In addition to friends, teachers also started coming by the treehouse, to complain to Niko's parents about how she would insist during class that malevolence was something people should seek, not shun. Multiple times, Edna caught Niko giving Celica "malevolence classes", trying to teach her to embrace some form of malevolence so she would turn; Cellie wasn't too into the idea, luckily, but Niko refused to give up. She started wearing her silky black hair in ponytails that she refused to take out even when she went to bed, saying that once she was a hellion, she would have horns, so she had to get used to having things on the sides of her head. Strangely, though, she didn't produce any malevolence at all, and Lailah speculated that the purity of her motive was exactly what prevented her from achieving her goal.

Celica was eight when Zaveid finally managed to bring home a World Tree Leaf, completing the four base components of the Omega Elixir. He and Edna both tried to make themselves cry, but crying on command, it turned out, was hard, especially for seraphim who had spent so many centuries training themselves to withhold their tears. Velvet became discouraged, but Eizen stepped forward and handed out little glass jars on leather cords for each of them to hang around their necks that he'd been saving his allowance to buy, with the point that if they ever happened to find themselves in the presence of a seraph's tears, they'd be able to collect them right away, no matter where they were.

With the Omega Elixir as complete as it could be, Zaveid started visiting every other day, even more frequently than he had before he'd vowed to get the ingredients, though he still saved his yearly proposition to Edna for Celica's birthday, which became a more and more elaborate affair every year as Eizen managed to get more and more people to visit and bring a bit of the world to the sickly, bedridden girl. In the days leading up to her tenth birthday, Eizen, Edna, and Zaveid worked together to hand out invitations to everyone in Ladylake and Elysia, even sending some to a few friends of friends of friends from Marlind; Velvet agreed to spend the whole day leading up to the party making food to be served to the whole crowd, and Rokurou cut down some more trees to make room and to get materials for the furniture they would need. Sorey and Mikleo happened to return from one of their adventures during this time, and incredibly, they agreed to stick around for the party, too. Only Niko stayed out of the festivities, keeping herself shut in her room as she tried to muster some amount of malevolence…but even she joined Eizen and Edna as they walked halfway across Lakehaven Heights to a remote location the day before Cellie's birthday, where Edna stomped one boot on the earth hard enough to shake it to its core.

"Maotelus!" she shouted. "Get up here, we need to talk to you!"

It took a couple more stomps, but eventually the Great Lord got the message, and the Dragon of Light arose from within the earth.

"What do you need of me, Edna?" he asked.

Edna gestured to the two humans with her. "It's not me, it's them," she said. "They want to meet you."

The dragon turned his glowing eyes on Eizen, who met his gaze steadily, and Niko, who glowered at the ground. "Who are you?"

"My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe," Eizen said, stepping forward. "This is my sister, Niko. You're a close friend of our parents, Velvet and Rokurou Rangetsu-Crowe."

"You're…Velvet and Rokurou's children?" Maotelus asked, his almighty demeanor fading. "They had a family?"

"Yes," Eizen told him, smiling. "And you're the reincarnation of our cousin. It was…Phi, wasn't it? Laphicet? After our mother's brother?"

Light emerged from the great, shining behemoth, and the dragon dulled to gray as the incandescence descended and shaped itself into the figure of a child with a single errant lock of hair that curled over his head like a halo.

The boy smiled, his jade eyes wide and bright. "You're my cousin!" he said happily. "That's so great! And what was your name? Eizen?"

"Yes." Eizen nodded, returning the little Lord's grin. "You knew my namesake, too."

"Uh-huh." Maotelus's smile shone like the sun. "You don't look like him, though. You look a lot like a young Rokurou, but with Velvet's eyes. And you…" He turned to Niko. "You look just like what I bet Velvet looked like when she was young, but with Rokurou's eyes. Niko, was it? I'm so happy to meet both of you!"

Niko grumbled and turned her head to the side, away from the divine child.

"Don't mind my sister," Eizen told Maotelus, "she can be a little grumpy."

But Maotelus giggled. "She reminds me of Velvet," he said.

For some reason, Eizen's smile faltered, and Edna felt her eyes narrow slightly.

"Listen, Maotelus…Phi," Eizen said, crouching down to be at the boy's eye level. "I'm really happy to meet you too, not just because you're the leader of the Great Lords but because of how much you mean to my parents. But we're not just here to meet you; we were hoping to ask you for a small favor."

"Oh?" Maotelus tilted his head. "What's that?"

"You see, we have a younger sister, her name is Celica," Eizen began, "and she has the Twelve Year Sickness."

"Oh no!" Maotelus gasped. "That's horrible! Do you need to know how to make an Omega Elixir?"

"We know how to make one, and Zaveid actually got four of the ingredients for us already," Eizen told him. "We just need a malak's tears, and we're hoping a seraph's will tears work. We all carry these…" He took the little glass jar he wore around his neck out from under his black tunic. "…just in case we happen to meet a crying seraph. We don't need your help with that, we'll be okay. But…her tenth birthday is tomorrow, and we were hoping you might come."

"Her _tenth_ birthday…" Maotelus repeated slowly.

"Yeah, she still has a couple of years left," Eizen confirmed. "But we're throwing her a huge party, half of Ladylake and a third of Elysia will be there, and we thought…we thought maybe you'd like to come too. Not as Maotelus, but as, well, as this, you know?" He gestured to Maotelus's small, humanoid form. "As Laphicet, our cousin. Cellie would love to meet you."

Maotelus frowned. "I don't…I don't know…" he said slowly.

"Please?" Eizen asked. "It would mean a lot to her, and…and to our parents, too, to see you again. No one has to know you're the Great Lord, you'll just be another seraph."

"But I'm not just another seraph," Maotelus said. "Being a Great Lord comes with a lot of duties and responsibility. I have to watch over the whole world…"

"Are you saying you can't be away for a couple of hours?" Edna asked flatly. "Please. You were a hellion for seventeen years and the world didn't _completely_ fall apart, you can be a normal seraph at a party for half a night."

"Well…" Maotelus closed his eyes tightly for a minute, then sighed. "I won't be able to stay for too long," he said, "but…" He opened his eyes to meet Eizen's gaze and smiled. "I'll come," he told him. "I'll be there, I promise. What time should I show up?"

"The party starts at sunset," Eizen told him. "It's okay if you're a little late…in fact, that might be for the best."

"Okay," Maotelus declared, "I'll be there after nightfall."

"Great!" Eizen grinned, straightening up. "I can't wait! Thank you for this, Maotelus, it'll mean a lot to our whole family!"

"It's okay, you can call me Phi," Maotelus said. "I don't really like my nickname, but it would be weird if you called me Maotelus around people; I wouldn't want anyone to know I can take this form."

"Yeah, that'd be bad," Eizen agreed. "Thank you, Phi. It was great to meet you!"

"You too!" Maotelus said brightly, and he turned to Niko. "And it was nice to meet you too, Niko!"

Niko didn't speak, just glared off into the distance to her right.

Though his smile faded, Maotelus took a step forward. "You really do remind me of Velvet," he told Niko, "the way she was when I first met her. She was always angry and sullen, just like you are. But eventually, she found new reasons to be happy. I hope you do, too."

No response.

"Don't bother with her," Edna told Maotelus. "Seriously. Just get back in the earthpulse and start setting things up so nothing will go wrong while you're away tomorrow night."

"Good idea," Maotelus said. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

He returned to his massive form, and the glowing dragon then dissolved back into the earth, leaving the three of them alone.

"That was a good thing you did," Edna told Eizen.

"Yeah," Eizen said. "I know it'll make Cellie happy."

"It shouldn't."

Edna and Eizen both turned to Niko as she spoke for the first time since they'd summoned the Great Lord.

"I can't believe we're inviting the Great Lord of Purification to Cellie's party," Niko grumbled. "That's the last thing she needs! We should be focusing on keeping the flames of purification as far away from her as possible!"

"You know that's not true," Eizen said sternly.

"No, I don't!" Niko snapped.

Resignedly, Eizen sighed. "Thank you for not saying anything while he was here," he told his sister; "I appreciate it. Let's just go home now before mom and dad wonder where we are, okay?"

Muttering obscenities under her breath, Niko turned in the direction of their treehouse and started walking. Eizen and Edna followed, though Eizen slowed his pace and forced Edna to fall back with him.

"I'm worried about her," he told Edna when his sister was far enough ahead of them.

"Who?"

"Niko," Eizen answered. "She still isn't over this malevolence thing. We've known the story of our parents' past for about four years, and I thought she'd grow out of it by now, but…she hasn't."

"Ironically, it's the purity of her motive that prevents her from producing malevolence," Edna stated.

"I know, but…" Eizen shook his head. "I can't shake the sense that something's going to have to give soon."

"What do you think will happen?" Edna asked.

"I don't know," he replied gravely, "but I have a bad feeling. If she achieves the kind of malevolence she says she wants, she won't just be a hellion; she'll be the next Lord of Calamity."

"How ironic that would be," Edna remarked tonelessly: "the Lord of Calamity, daughter of the Lord of Calamity. I bet that's never happened."

"It's not something you should joke about," Eizen told her. "I know she's been foiled all this time by the purity of her motive and everything, but…I don't know, I just feel like this can't last forever."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"You know she doesn't talk to me," Eizen answered. "She doesn't talk to anyone but Cellie. She won't listen to me any more than she's listened to mom and dad."

Edna sighed, dropping her emotionless facade slightly, as she only ever did willingly for her baby brother. "Look, even if something does happen, it's nothing we can't handle," she said. "Worst case, we have Lailah call Sorey and Mikleo home and they quell her. Don't worry, baby brother, it'll be fine."

But he didn't look convinced. "I hope so," was all he said.

~X~

That night, Velvet went to bed early, to rest up in preparation for all the cooking she would have to do the next day; in the meantime, Rokurou was outside, hacking away at his lumber with his swords and trying to pound them together into long tables and poles to hold up lanterns he'd bought. Edna was just walking back to her room to prepare for bed herself when a shout from the top of the treehouse caught her attention.

Without speaking, both she and Rokurou immediately turned and ran to the ladder that led straight to the top of the treehouse; inside, past the room that acted as an entryway for both the ladder and the stairs, Velvet was sitting up in bed, her chest heaving.

"Velvet!" Rokurou exclaimed, running to her side. "What's wrong?"

"I…I'm fine," she gasped as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm fine…I'm fine. I just had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Rokurou asked, frowning. "You haven't had one of those in a while." He thought for a minute, then turned to Edna. "Hey Edna, would you please get an apple and some water from the storeroom?"

"Sure," Edna said dully, and she jogged down the stairs to do as he said.

When she returned, Velvet was composing herself, Rokurou murmuring reassurances to her.

"Here," she said, tossing the apple at Rokurou, who caught it without looking. As Edna handed Velvet a small jug of water, Rokurou cut a slice and then cut the slice along its width in little slivers that were barely connected by a strand of skin; he called this a "staircase", he made them as snacks for the family all the time, and it really was remarkable how the little bits of air in an apple slice improved the taste.

"Here you go, Vel," he murmured, handing her the staircase, and she ate it gratefully.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"So what was this nightmare about?" Edna asked, sitting on the end of the bed.

Velvet blinked, then curled in on herself slightly. "I was…in the night sky," she replied slowly, and Rokurou started cutting another staircase, "in the darkness, and all around me there were stars. But…but they weren't stars. They were all sharp, like teeth. Everywhere, teeth. And I heard a voice…a voice that, somehow, I couldn't really understand it, but I knew exactly what it was trying to say."

"How does that work?" Edna asked, confused.

"I don't know," Velvet whimpered, shaking her head, and Rokurou whispered some comforting nothings and handed her more of the sliced apple. "But I…I remember what it was trying to tell me. It said, 'Your blood will hear the First Shadow, and all will be clear.'"

"Well, that's ominous," Edna remarked dully.

"No," Velvet insisted, shaking her head again, Rokurou still fussing over her. "No, the voice wasn't what was scary. In fact, it…it almost seemed like it was trying to comfort me."

"Then what was the scary part?" Edna asked.

"The stars," Velvet groaned. "The _stars_. They were _teeth_."

"So…did they look like stars or did they look like teeth?" Edna pressed.

"They looked like stars," Velvet answered, "but they were _teeth_. All of them. The entire sky was a huge, monstrous mouth, waiting to chew us all up and swallow us, casting us into eternal darkness, shredded and broken…"

She started crying, and Rokurou got up to sit beside her and hold her close. "It's okay, Vel," he told her. "It was just a dream." He looked up at Edna, and she didn't miss the gleam of anger in his eyes for how she'd pushed his wife. "It was just a dream, wasn't it?" he all but demanded. "Have you ever heard of something called the First Shadow?"

"That's a new one to me," Edna shrugged, "but I'm not the oldest seraph in the world by any means. I don't know everything."

"I think if the First Shadow was something to be worried about, you would know," Rokurou said firmly, and he ran a hand up an down his wife's arm. "It's okay, Vel," he murmured again. "It's fine. It was just a nightmare. Come on, let's get some sleep, you have a long day tomorrow; I can finish the preparations in the morning."

Taking her cue, Edna stood up and left, bidding them goodnight as she made for the door to the ladder and hopped down to the ground.

_The First Shadow…_ Edna had truly never heard of such a thing. It sounded like a term for malevolence, but something about it felt more ominous than that, even to her. As she settled into her bed that night, eager to rest in preparation for the ordeal tomorrow night's party would be, she couldn't quite shake the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_Something is coming._

* * *

**Summary (yes, this is all a summary, I'm covering 33,000 words here): Edna goes to the treehouse with Velvet and Rokurou, who convince her to stay for dinner. Edna realizes Velvet is pregnant, and forces Velvet to tell Rokurou the news. He's excited to rebuild the Rangetsu clan, but Velvet insists that she can't let her child be raised to kill and die, and after many tearful pleas and apologies on her part, Rokurou reluctantly agrees. Edna commissions Rokurou to build a room for her, then leaves, though she visits every so often.**

**On the next anniversary of her brother's death, Edna realizes that Velvet and Rokurou are Eizen's family and he'd want her to stay with them, so she decides to do so, and she also invites Zaveid to join her for dinner at the treehouse. Over the food, Zaveid is inadvertently forced to reveal to Edna the story of his beloved Theodora, and Velvet declares that she wants the treehouse to be a haven for all four of them, where they can all know they'll be safe - a home, with each other as family. Edna and Zaveid both agree, though Edna insists they make a deal wherein Zaveid is only allowed to hit on her once a year. Edna moves into her separate room by the nearby brook that night. Though Zaveid doesn't stay at the treehouse, he visits every two or three days.**

**Rokurou expands the treehouse, Edna delivers Velvet's first child, a boy, and with Edna's permission, the child is christened Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe. Edna also grants him her blessing, though she doesn't know what it is. Edna bonds with the child as he grows, but she and Zaveid become concerned at how isolated he is living deep in the woods of the far east with only his parents, Edna, and Zaveid for company, and the two seraphim of the family agree to trick Sorey into dragging Lailah and Mikleo to the treehouse the next time he and Mikleo return from their travels. The plan works, and the two seraphim reveal their grand plan: that Eizen needs to go to school in Ladylake, and Lailah, being a schoolteacher there, was someone they wanted him to meet. Eizen is initially terrified by the presence of new people, but at dinner that night, he comes out and introduces himself, quickly deciding that he likes new people. It's at this time that Velvet reveals she's pregnant again.**

**With more family on the way, Rokurou expands the treehouse even further, much more than necessary, into nearly a tree-mansion. Eizen goes to school a little after his fourth birthday and quickly settles in just fine, making friends and excelling in his studies; after a few months, he catches sight of a girl in an older class named Sadie, whose curly golden hair is a marvel to him.**

**Edna delivers Velvet's second child, a girl, and Velvet names her Niko. While Eizen was always a gentle and mild-mannered child, Niko is loud and selfish, always screaming for whatever she wants and thinking of nothing else, and she doesn't get along with her brother despite his efforts. Things at the treehouse are at a horrible unrest, and then, during one of Zaveid's visits, Velvet informs the family that she's pregnant yet again, telling Niko that she's going to be a big sister soon and that her baby brother or sister will depend on her. Zaveid insists on staying at the treehouse until the next child is born, and Eizen offers "uncle Zaveid" his bed so he can have a sleepover with his "big sis", Edna. Edna agrees, and so does everyone else.**

**Edna bonds with her seven-year-old "baby brother" even more so than when he was first learning to walk and talk as they wait for the new child to be born. Velvet's third pregnancy is much harder on her, and when she goes into labor, she can't get up to her room, so everyone brings the room to her. Zaveid insists on being the one to deliver the child, and Velvet accepts; with much care and reverence, Zaveid delivers a sickly baby girl, whom Velvet insists on naming Celica, though Rokurou tells her that their next child will be named Magilou even if it's a boy. Niko sees her newborn baby sister and is seemingly struck with a sense of responsibility, her bratty tendencies curbed as she does her best to care for her weak sibling.**

**Celica stays sickly even when she's old enough to walk and talk, and a little after she turns two, Velvet finally allows herself to admit that her youngest child has the Twelve Year Sickness. Zaveid vows to hunt down the four base ingredients for the Omega Elixir, though the fact that seraphim now produce their own malevolence since Maotelus came to power means there's no guarantee the final ingredient can ever be found. Zaveid's visits grow infrequent as he searches for what they need, though he is successful, finding first a Unicorn Horn, then a Cloud Sheep's Egg, over the course of a couple of years, returning only when he has an ingredient in hand or when it's one of the kids' birthdays, which he helps them celebrate by putting on a display of illusory artes.**

**One year, Zaveid doesn't come back, and during this time, Eizen, now thirteen, tries to talk to his childhood crush, Sadie. She rejects him on the grounds of him being "the son of the ancient monsters", and he at last asks his parents about their family, why they live so differently and so far away from civilization. The other children join in, and Velvet and Rokurou agree to tell them everything as soon as Zaveid returns and can use his illusory artes to help tell the story. He returns three days later with Long Dau's Dust, and the next day is spent describing to the three young Rangetsu-Crowes everything their parents went through, and everything they were, with Zaveid lending visual support. Eizen struggles for a while before accepting this and deciding to be open about his family history with his friends in Ladylake, but Niko concludes that malevolence makes people immortal and is all they need to cure Celica's illness, and quickly becomes obsessed with the idea.**

**As time passes, Zaveid finds a World Tree Leaf, the last of the base ingredients, and then all that's left is to find a seraph's tears, which are not easy to come by, as old seraphim like Edna and Zaveid can't cry on command. Eizen buys little glass jars for everyone to hang around their necks just in case one of them happens across a crying seraph, and in the meantime, bit by bit, the world is brought to the distant treehouse, first in the form of Eizen's friends, then teachers complaining about Niko's conduct as her obsession with malevolence grows, then friends of friends and more, so Celica, who is too weak to leave the treehouse area, can still meet people. Everyone plans for her tenth birthday to be the biggest party in history, and Eizen and Edna secretly invite Maotelus himself to come in his seraph form, because he's the reincarnation of Velvet's nephew and therefore Celica's cousin. The Dragon of Light agrees to make an appearance.**

**The night before Celica's tenth birthday, Velvet is afflicted with a nightmare, in which all the stars in the night sky are teeth, and a mysterious voice that sounds like it's trying to comfort her gives her an ominous message: "Your blood will hear the First Shadow, and all will be clear."**


	2. Danger Hides in Shadows

Celica's tenth birthday was marked by a crackle of electricity that seemed to hang in the air across all of Hyland. Even in the town of Ladylake, far away from the birthday girl and the spot where her parents worked frantically to prepare for the party, there was an excited tension in everyone's movements. This was the biggest party not ordained by the government in history, and even the people who refused to attend knew about it. Most people were going - not just friends, or even friends of friends, but also acquaintances and relatives of acquaintances and anyone who felt remotely curious about what had become of the "ancient monsters". Those who still held misgivings were, of course, not required to attend, but some were going to, if only because their children begged to be able to go and they wanted to keep their young ones safe.

When school finally ended, and Edna, Zaveid, Eizen, and Niko began the journey home, they were joined by Sorey, Lailah, Mikleo, Eizen's best friend David, and several other classmates, as well as a couple of concerned parents. Along the way, about every ten steps or so, Edna summoned spires of rock on either side of the group to mark the path, so everyone coming later would be able to find their way - spires of rock she would return to the earth once every last guest had gone home. The adult humans, those old enough to remember a time when seraphim were but a legend, seemed unnerved by this casual display of power, but Edna ignored their flinches.

By the time they got to the treehouse, the clearing had been transformed; multiple seraphim were already there, putting the finishing touches on the various games and decorations and hanging up the strings of colored lanterns that were strung across the area from poles erected solely for this occasion, just so there would be enough light even after night fell. It was an appalling number of lanterns, and coloring all the paper shades must have taken half the pigment on the continent. _Not to mention how we've taken half the _food_ on the continent,_ Edna thought, eyeing the many, many long tables laden with dishes of all sorts.

"Eizen!"

A frazzled-looking Velvet ran to the small group clustered at the edge of the trees.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon!"

"Yeah, our teachers knew no one would be able to focus with the party coming up, so they let us go a little early," Eizen told his mother.

She sighed, though she smiled. "And here I was counting on you being late."

"How are you feeling?" Edna asked, remembering her nightmare.

"Overwhelmed," Velvet replied honestly. "Guests are already coming, and I still have several more dishes to cook!"

"And just who are you?" demanded David's mother Rho, a plump, arrogant woman whom Edna had never liked.

"Oh! My apologies," Velvet said quickly, bowing a greeting to the crowd, from which Sorey, Lailah, Mikleo, and Eizen and his friends had already detached to dig into the food. "My name is Velvet Rangetsu-Crowe; I'm Eizen's mother. This party is for my youngest daughter Celica's tenth birthday. Thank you all so much for coming-"

"And you expect us to eat food _you_ cooked?" Rho exclaimed. "The nerve! Forcing your party guests to - to eat hellion food!"

"Velvet's not a hellion," Edna stated, rolling her eyes. "She hasn't been one for about eighteen years."

"But she _was_," Rho huffed, crossing her beefy arms.

"The opportunity to taste Velvet Rangetsu-Crowe's cooking is a tremendous honor," Edna told the incredibly thick human. "I've dined with her every day since before Eizen was born, and not once have I regretted it. Here." Reaching for the nearest buffet table and grabbing the first thing her hand found - what looked to be a small hand-pie - she thrust the food into Rho's unwilling paw. "Eat it. You'll see."

"Er…" Rho eyed the morsel in her hand nervously, as though afraid it might bite her first.

"You know, you probably have several ancestors who were hellions," Edna remarked; "you just wouldn't know it because no one but the Shepherd and a handful of others would have been able to tell. The calamity opened everyone's eyes to what was always there, nothing more."

"How dare you?" Rho yelped.

"How dare I?" Edna repeated, fixing her with cold eyes. "I'm a seraph who's lived over two thousand years. I know a lot more than you. That's how dare I."

"Come on, mom!" David piped up from where he was filling his plate, stuffing every third handful into his mouth. "You'll love it!"

"I…" Rho withered under Edna's glare, and her son's call made her flinch. Grimacing, she put the tiny pie into her mouth and chewed.

Edna smirked.

"Oh!" Rho's face transformed in an instant, her chewing growing enthusiastic. "Oh my…!" Swallowing, she looked at Velvet. "What on earth is this?"

"Sweet potato and kale hand-pies, with a cheese-enhanced crust," Velvet replied with a nervous smile. "I tried to stretch the dough a little since I had to make so many, I hope it came out okay…"

"Vala, you _must_ try this," Rho declared to another of the mothers who had held back, grabbing another of the hand-pies. "Tell me if some sort of illusion is being cast on me."

Vala hesitated less than Rho had, and her expression lit up with delight almost as soon as as the hand-pie was in her mouth. "If this is an illusion, it's an excellent one," the second woman declared. "Here, Stu, try this."

_My work here is done,_ Edna thought as the handful of concerned parents finally made their way into the clearing, sampling the food and making small talk, a few of the men heading for the table of alcohol that Rokurou and Zaveid were already commandeering, and she walked away as Velvet blushed and hurried back to her work. _At least humans have herd mentality going for them; convince one, convince them all._

Around a few clusters of seraphim who were putting the finishing touches on the party area, Edna found Eizen standing in front of his youngest sister, who was seated on a very plush throne that Rokurou had sent Zaveid all the way to Pendrago to buy.

"Happy birthday, Celica," he told her, handing her a plate with several of his mother's treats.

"Thanks, big brother!" Celica squeaked. Her hair was the same dull, sickly brown as ever - not black, like everyone else in her family, as though it simply couldn't muster the strength to fully color itself - but her golden eyes were bright and excited; mercifully, her birthday hadn't coincided with one of her fevers. "What'd you get me?"

"Oh, uh, your present will be here in a little while," Eizen told her.

"You could consider this whole party a present," Edna remarked, joining him, "since we're bringing half the kingdom here for you. Happy birthday, Cellie," she added.

"Stop calling me Cellie," Celica grumbled. "I'm not a little kid anymore, auntie Edna, I'm ten years old today."

"Indeed," Edna agreed, "and I am wishing you a happy birthday."

Just then, a seraph started playing a flute, and Celica lit up, her attention entirely captured by the sound of music, which she almost never got to hear all the way out in the far eastern forest. Relieved of her obligation to remedy what only a child would consider an unforgivable mistake, Edna wandered off to keep an eye on the goings-on of the night, occasionally sampling the various foods that were laid out. Parties weren't her scene, but she wasn't going to retreat into her room, either, not when her whole family had worked so hard for this.

More people slowly trickled in as the sun set, all the incoming wary humans quickly assimilated into the masses of people already charmed by Velvet's culinary mastery; Edna didn't have to intervene again. At a certain point of darkness, several of the fire seraphim in attendance lit the lanterns in unison, illuminating the massive clearing with festive colors, and the party seemed to pick up. Adults were drinking and talking and laughing, while children played the various games Rokurou had set up, half of which Edna was sure he had invented himself. Eizen and his group of friends never left Celica's side, Eizen refusing to partake in anything his youngest sister couldn't join in too.

When the moon finished clearing the treeline, Edna stepped forward to help clear a large circle for Rokurou and Eizen in front of Cellie's birthday girl throne. Murmuring well-wishes under her breath to Eizen, Edna retreated to the front of the crowd that had gathered, as everyone realized something important was going on.

Eizen drew his katana, and Rokurou drew his odd short swords; both took a defensive stance, and Edna noticed, as always, how Rokurou stood poised exactly as Rose used to. The son was the one to make the first move, taking a step forward and to the right in what even Edna could tell was a feint, and Rokurou darted forward. Blades clashed, and from there, Edna lost the ability to keep track of the goings-on with her eyes. The Rangetsu style was too quick for an onlooker to even make sense of; half the time, one of the combatants ended up in a different spot from where they had been moments before without Edna even detecting any movement on their part. When various humans started cheering, Edna wondered what they even thought they were looking at, but Celica had her hands clasped and stars in her eyes as she watched the contest.

One thing Edna did slowly come to realize, though, was that her baby brother had improved quite a bit over the years - two minutes in, he was still holding his own against his father, dancing around the blades just as quickly as the elder swordsman. Whatever was happening, at least the fight lasted longer than it ever had before, which left Edna smiling despite herself. _Little Eizen is growing up._

At last, with a flurry of metal that Edna didn't even bother trying to follow, Eizen's katana ended up knocked to the ground, and Rokurou's knives circled his son's throat. Both held the position for a minute, their chests heaving, before Rokurou withdrew and sheathed his knives and they clasped hands, smiling at each other.

The resulting cheer was deafening, and Celica clapped so hard Edna seriously wondered if her palms would start bleeding. Several human men plowed forward to start praising Rokurou's skills, and Edna approached Eizen cautiously.

"You did well, baby brother," she told him. "I've never seen you last so long."

"Yeah," Eizen sighed, sheathing his katana. "I think I could've won…but I'm not sure I want to, really."

"If you say so," Edna shrugged; "I couldn't make any sense of the fight, myself." At the back of her mind, a memory nagged at her, of Velvet begging Rokurou not to raise his child to kill him, and she wondered if Eizen's inclination to not defeat his father would offend the ancient swordsman if he knew.

"Still?" Eizen chuckled. "You've watched my training from the beginning."

"Swords are overrated," Edna dismissed. "Watching swordfights isn't for me."

"Suit yourself," Eizen said, and he walked over to continue indulging his little sister.

Sighing, Edna walked back towards the edge of the clearing, only for another voice to speak up as soon as she had a bit of space to herself.

"Oh Edna, darling!"

Heaving another, much heavier sigh, Edna turned. "It's that time of year again, huh?" she resignedly asked the unwelcome interloper.

"Sure is!" Zaveid replied with a cocky grin. "So, whaddaya say? Will you be my girl, or do I have to beg?"

"Before we get started with whatever nonsense you have prepared this year, can I ask you a question?" Edna inquired.

Zaveid spread his hands in a welcoming gesture. "Shoot."

"When did we go from you hitting on me to you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Uh…" Zaveid's smirk faltered slightly, and he shook his head. "I…I don't know."

"Because I've noticed it for a few years now," Edna went on.

"Babe, I really don't know when that started," he told her.

"Then maybe you can tell me why?" she pressed.

"_That_, I can do!" Zaveid grinned. "It's simple, really. Edna, sweetheart, we're family - the girls already call you 'auntie Edna'. Plus, we've been through so much together, and your brother was one of my best friends…who could ever understand or respect you like I do? And who could ever understand or respect me like you do?"

"That's your reasoning?" Edna asked cynically. "If that's your idea of romance, you really are beyond hope."

He winced, and in that one, wordless gesture, Edna heard a multitude of sentiments. _It's not, but it's safer than romance. You're the only one I know I can trust not to leave me. You're the only one strong enough to survive the curse that is my life. Anyone else would get hurt, or hurt me, or both. You're the only one I can turn to safely._

_…__Maybe we do have some understanding between us,_ Edna admitted to herself, though she kept her face neutral. "In any case, my answer is no," she stated.

"Well, you might change your mind when you see what I brought you this time," Zaveid smirked, the moment of poignancy gone, and he reached to his side and produced a small pouch. "Boom!"

"What is this?" Edna asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Open it and find out," he replied; he had always been a master of self-satisfied smirks, but the one he wore now threatened to split his face in half.

Cautiously, Edna reached forward and opened the pouch with one hand, her other hand keeping a careful hold on her umbrella. Inside, she grasped a small lump and pulled it out to observe in the lamplight, a brown shape coated in something clear and shiny.

"Is this…?"

"Marrons glacés, the snack of kings!" Zaveid declared proudly. "I made 'em myself, just for you, baby!"

"You made marrons glacés?" Edna said incredulously.

"All by myself!" Zaveid repeated, still grinning.

Edna glared at him for a long minute.

"…Alright, I had Velvet show me how it was done first," he finally admitted. "But these, these right here, the ones I'm giving you, were made with my own two hands and no one else's."

"Then they're probably inedible," Edna dismissed.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!" Zaveid protested. "At least try one first! It doesn't mean you're saying yes, but I worked really hard on these! Hell, I burned the first three batches!"

"That much, I would believe," Edna said tonelessly, but she found her curiosity piqued. If he'd tried three times and failed before making these, they couldn't be _that _bad, surely…

With another sigh, Edna popped the sugared chestnut into her mouth and chewed, slowly, thoughtfully. The fact that she didn't immediately feel an urge to gag was a marvel in and of itself.

"So?" Zaveid questioned, his red-brown eyes oddly bright. "How are they?"

Edna chewed a little longer, then swallowed. "The flavor's too strong, and the texture is tough," she told him at last.

"Too strong?!" he exclaimed. "How can flavor be too strong?!"

"The whole point of marrons glacés is that they are a delicacy, to be enjoyed at leisure and appreciated for their subtlety," Edna informed the hapless wind seraph. She hesitated a moment, then added, "But besides that, they're okay. They're not really marrons glacés, but they're not…_not_ marrons glacés. In fact, if you really did make them yourself, then I would even go so far as to say I'm impressed."

A wide grin split Zaveid's face again.

"But my answer is still no."

"Oh come on!" he shouted. "You're killing me, baby!"

"Good effort, though," she went on. "Keep this up, and you might actually wear me down one of these years."

"Ugh…" Zaveid's shoulders slumped in defeat, though he still proffered the pouch. "At least take the rest," he pleaded. "Please? It doesn't mean yes, I just…I worked so hard on them…"

Somehow, Edna managed to muster enough pity to grab the little bag. "Fine," she grumbled. "Now get out of here."

Tipping his hat at her, Zaveid smirked. "Until next year, gorgeous," he told her, and he walked away.

Despite herself, Edna found her hand reaching into the pouch and popping more sugared chestnuts into her mouth one at a time as the party continued. Zaveid put on his usual illusory arte display for the birthday girl, heavily featuring swordsmen he'd seen himself throughout the ages, and Celica laughed with delight. _She really is almost as sword-brained as her father,_ Edna mused from the sidelines. _Shame she hasn't been able to start training yet._

Then, at last, another small figure entered the clearing, wearing a puffy white tunic and marked by his signature curl of hair that stood up like a halo over his head.

Edna was the first to notice Maotelus as he uneasily made his way into the crowd of humans and seraphim of all ages. For a Great Lord, he looked nervous, as though he'd never seen so many people before. Maybe he hadn't, Edna realized, at least not in person, and she quickly jogged forward to catch him.

"Hey," she murmured, taking his side.

"Edna!" he exclaimed, lighting up. "I came, just like I said I would!"

"So you did," she remarked. "Come on, the birthday girl is this way."

Eagerly, the divine seraph followed Edna across the clearing and through the crowd, until at last they reached Celica, who was playing with one of several presents she'd already received.

"Celica," Edna announced, getting the girl's attention. "I want you to meet someone very special."

"Hi!" Maotelus said brightly, stepping forward. "My name's Laphicet. You can call me Phi if you want."

"Laphicet?" Celica repeated, her eyes widening. "But doesn't that mean-?"

"Shhh," her brother hushed, appearing at her side and putting a hand on her thin shoulder. "Not in front of everyone."

Celica gasped as Maotelus sat down beside her, wearing a cheerful smile.

"So you're Velvet and Rokurou's youngest daughter," he said. "I've heard a lot about you. You're name's Celica, right?"

"Uh-huh," Cellie confirmed, nodding. "After my aunt."

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about Velvet's sister, too," Maotelus said. "She was my mom, you know. That makes us cousins!" His smile faltered as he added, "I, uh…I heard you have the Twelve Year Sickness. Is that true?"

Immediately, Celica's smile faded, and she nodded grimly. "Uncle Zaveid's gathered four of the five ingredients for the Omega Elixir, but we can't get the fifth," she told him. "Are you going to cry for me?"

"I'm sorry you're sick," Maotelus told her gently, "but…crying doesn't come easily to seraphim as old as me. I would if I could, I swear. Don't worry, though," he added, brightening up again, "your brother showed me those jars you all carry around just in case you find a seraph crying. I'm sure you'll be all better soon."

"So you really made an Omega Elixir once?" Celica asked.

"Yup!" Maotelus replied brightly. "For a friend of mine named Videl. He was the one who translated the ingredient list, and my friends and I went and found them. He was always reading books, and his dream was to see the world someday." Maotelus's jade eyes fixed on Celica eagerly. "What do you want to do, once you're all better?" he asked. "What's your big dream?"

"My dream is to be a master of the Rangetsu style, just like my dad!" Celica replied enthusiastically. "I'm gonna be a great swordsman, just like him!"

"I've seen your father in battle; he's amazing!" Maotelus exclaimed. "He moves so fast you can't even see him!"

"I know!" Celica said proudly. "I haven't been able to start training yet, but I watch my brother and my sister train with him every day, and I know I could do the moves if I had the energy! Once I do, I'm going to train harder than either of them, and someday, I'll beat my dad!"

"I'm sure nothing would make him happier," Maotelus laughed.

Satisfied that the two cousins across time were getting along, Edna slipped away and gently nudged Velvet, who was dancing with a slightly tipsy Rokurou to the music that had slowed down as the night wore on.

"We have a visitor," she informed the couple, gesturing to Celica and Maotelus. "I'm sure he'd love it if you said hello."

Velvet gasped. "Phi…?" she breathed.

"Eizen thought he should come, since he was your family," Edna said, "so we asked him to join the party yesterday. He said yes."

"Well, come on, what're we waiting for?" Rokurou grinned, taking his wife's arm and stepping towards his youngest child. "Let's have a big family reunion!"

Watching them go, Edna smiled, then stepped away from the party again, still occasionally eating from Zaveid's gift.

With the lanterns so bright even as the moon traveled across the night sky, it was hard to gauge how much time was passing. Edna guessed it had been about an hour before Maotelus left as silently as he'd come, though the party was barely starting to slow down. Even the most conscientious of parents hadn't started dragging their kids home yet, instead enjoying the party as though the night would last forever. And somehow, Edna couldn't blame them. There was a…a sort of energy, to the party, that she had a feeling was only noticeable to seraphim - it felt like the opposite of malevolence, refreshing and invigorating. Everywhere she looked, people were smiling, talking, and laughing, and though she didn't really partake in any of the festivities, she found herself enjoying the joy and lighthearted fun that surrounded her.

But among all the smiles, there was one, singular frown.

Edna wasn't sure when she started really paying attention to Niko, who was sulking on the outskirts of the party, not talking to anyone, her shapeless black dress making her look even paler than she already was. Every laughing partygoer who passed got a glare from her copper eyes, and Edna felt an odd twist in her gut. Maotelus had remarked that she looked like a young Velvet, but in the shadows, with her pigtails, Edna couldn't help but think she seemed more like Symmone…and not just in appearance.

_Eizen's right,_ she thought;_ something has to be done about that kid._

All of a sudden, she knew exactly what to do. Walking up to the sullen girl, Edna poked her in the arm with her umbrella.

"Niko," she grunted.

"What do you want, auntie Edna?" Niko glowered at her.

"Come here," Edna told her, turning her back. "I want to show you something."

Grumbling under her breath, Niko mercifully followed.

Under the shade of the trees, just outside the lamplight, Edna turned back around, and gestured for Niko to do the same. "Look at all this," she told the girl; "what do you see?"

Niko didn't respond.

"Look at your mother," Edna pressed, gesturing to where Velvet was talking with several smiling women, presumably about recipes and cooking. "And your father." Not far away, Rokurou appeared to be boasting to several men, presumably about swordsmanship. "Look at your brother and your sister, and how much fun they're having. Look at everyone else, human and seraph alike. What do you see?"

Still no answer.

"I'll tell you what I see," Edna sighed at last: "I see a bunch of people who are _happy_. All these people are having fun together, smiling and laughing and sharing in each other's company." She turned on Niko. "Do you think a world completely consumed by malevolence could have this much happiness in it?"

"This happiness is a lie," Niko growled.

Edna blinked.

"All those women smiling at my mother? They're all judging her, for who she used to be," Niko said. "Those men laughing with my father are judging him too. And my parents, and my brother and sister? Their laughs are the most fake out of everyone here, because they all know full well what this party really is: another tick of the clock, as my sister's death grows closer." She turned to Edna then, her copper eyes blazing with fury. "My sister is _dying_," she said, "and everyone here knows it. That's what all this _happiness_ is based on. All those smiles, all that laughter? They're not real. Everyone's just trying to distract themselves from the fact that Cellie's going to die soon. Do you think my family will still be smiling and laughing two years from now, at my sister's funeral?"

"Niko…" Edna said slowly.

"Happiness is a waste," Niko spat. "It doesn't last, and it doesn't mean anything; it just covers up sadness so everyone can pretend life is okay. But life _isn't_ okay, it never is! My sister will die soon, and the rest of us will die eventually, because everyone tries to make happy lives and get drunk on as much happiness as possible instead of embracing the one thing that can save them!"

"Malevolence isn't salvation, Niko." Edna told her firmly. "Malevolence is-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's a curse, right?" Niko interrupted contemptuously. "I'll tell you what's a curse: _life_. Life, with only death to look forward to, and _happiness_ to carry people along to their end. This, all this?" She gestured at the party. "It's a lie. It's empty, it means nothing, and it disgusts me! So don't go trying to preach to me, auntie Edna. The sooner this nonsense is over, the better."

And before Edna could even muster a reply, Niko stormed off.

For a long minute, Edna stood rooted to the spot. Niko was wrong, of course she was wrong, but…but somehow, in that moment, Edna couldn't articulate why. There was an unsettling amount of truth to what Niko had said, and Edna turned her eyes on the party again, only to notice things she hadn't picked up on before: the tightness of the muscles around Velvet's smile, the worry lines creasing Eizen's forehead even as he laughed, the sweat beading on Celica's brow as she tried to keep playing with her brother and his friends.

Shaking her head, Edna forced herself back into the lamplight to observe and, in her own way, enjoy, the rest of the party.

~o~

Finally, people began to trickle out of the clearing and follow the path Edna had left for everyone who hadn't been this way before. At first, it was only a few, but then a spell seemed to suddenly break, and people were leaving all at once, bidding cheerful farewells and (in some cases) grabbing napkins full of leftover treats to take home. Velvet and Rokurou saw everyone off, Zaveid left with Sorey and his seraphim, and Eizen put Cellie to bed. Niko had vanished somewhere during the night, but when the last guest walked away - a fire seraph who extinguished most of the lights on his way out - no one felt like searching for her. While Velvet and Rokurou started on the cleanup that absolutely had to get done before they went to bed themselves, Edna started walking down the path of stone spires she'd made, returning each one to within the earth and leaving no trace behind.

By the time she finally managed to get back to her room, there had to only be a couple of hours before dawn. Unable to muster the strength to bathe, Edna simply sat down by the stream just outside of her room, unlaced and removed her boots, and dipped her sore feet into the cool water.

_What a night. I could sleep for a year._

As she watched the water play over her dainty feet, it crossed Edna's mind, not for the first time in the last couple of years, to maybe consider aging a little. Not a lot, just enough to go up one shoe size; surely she could find a way to make her brother's boots still fit her. As always, though, she dismissed the idea; she was perfect as she was.

Her mind hazy with fatigue, Edna found her thoughts drifting back to Niko. _She's wrong,_ she thought. _Happiness isn't a waste. It's the only thing that makes living worthwhile. Without emotions, we might as well all be dead, like when Innominat's Suppression ruled the land. But we can't tell her anything we haven't told her before on that front…_

_Oh well. The purity of her belief is what keeps her from becoming corrupted. Better to not convince her at all than to convince her just a little._

It was at that exact moment that what felt and sounded like a lightning bolt struck the ground a ways behind Edna, back in the clearing around the treehouse. Turning around, she just barely didn't have time to brace herself before a wall of malevolence slammed into her and knocked her on her back; she curled up beside the flowing water, trying desperately to maintain her sanity as darkness clawed at her being.

A malevolent domain, stronger than even Heldalf had generated.

Sick to her stomach from the corruption in the air, Edna forced herself to pull her boots on and rise to her feet, though she struggled to stand under the crushing weight of all the malevolence. Smoke was rising over the trees in the direction of the treehouse, and Edna had a feeling she knew what had happened.

_Nothing I can do,_ she thought, dragging one foot to her left, away from where she had last seen her family. _Not like this, not without a vessel…I gotta get help…_

At the painfully slow pace she managed despite mustering all her strength, though, Edna knew she would be too late to help anyone.


	3. Hope and Despair

Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe was roused from his sleep by the smell of smoke.

Groaning, the 17-year-old rolled over, trying to cover his mouth with a sheet. It felt like he had just collapsed onto his bed a split second ago, after his youngest sister's birthday party had finally ended, and he was more exhausted than he had ever been in his life, even worse than the first day his father had started training him with a katana in preparation for the greatsword training he never let himself take. But the smoke worked its way through the cloth, and after a few moments, he realized he could hear the crackling of flames.

Blearily, he pushed himself up to look around. An orange glow coming through his window jolted him to full awakeness, and he registered the heat and cloying odor that only got stronger.

_What's going on?_ he wondered, quickly getting dressed. _Did one of the lanterns fall and start a fire?_

Then, as he buckled on his katana, more out of habit than because he thought he might need it, a new sound cut through the roaring fire outside: laughter. Not the laughter that had filled the air during his sister's party, but the loud, full laughter of a single person. It sounded unhinged, deranged, like the laughter of a lunatic who felt no real joy but was struck with hysterics all the same, and all at once, Eizen understood what was going on.

_Hellion._

"Dad," he muttered, lunging for the door to the stairs that led up to his parents' room. "Dad. Dad!"

When he opened the door, a wave of intense heat blasted into his room, followed by a cloud of smoke. He could see flames just a little ways down the stairs as they crept up through the wooden house his father had made himself. Coughing, clasping the sleeve of his tunic to his mouth, Eizen stumbled up the wooden steps.

"Dad!" he choked. "Dad, wake up! Mom!"

Upstairs, Eizen turned right and burst through the door to his parents' room. Luckily, his mother and father appeared to have fallen asleep almost fully dressed - presumably, they had been even more exhausted than him. The air was slightly cleaner here, and Eizen ran forward to shake his father.

"Dad!" he shouted. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" groaned Rokurou, turning over, and Eizen winced as he remembered how many times he'd seen his father stop by the liquor table during the party.

"Dad, there's a hellion," Eizen quickly told him all the same. "It set fire to the house. Get your swords." He reached over and shook his mother as well. "Mom, get up, we have to get out of here, the treehouse is on fire!"

A loud crash against the roof woke Velvet and Rokurou far more quickly than Eizen's cajoling - Rokurou sat up all at once, nearly headbutting Eizen, and Velvet lifted her head.

"What's going on?" she groaned.

"Fire, mom," Eizen repeated as Rokurou cursed under his breath and struggled to stand. "And there's a hellion outside, I bet it started it."

"How do you know there's a hellion?" Rokurou asked, reaching for his legendary blades.

"I heard it laughing," Eizen answered.

"Where are your sisters?" Velvet queried, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"I don't know," Eizen replied, "but the fire had almost reached my room by the time I got up. Either they're out and safe, or…" _No. Don't even say it._ "I'm sure they're fine," he insisted instead. "But we have to get out of here before the smoke kills us." Already, the room was getting hot, and the scent of burning was filling Eizen's mouth and nose.

But Velvet's golden eyes were distant. "Celica," she whispered, pushing her way out of bed and slipping into her boots. "Niko…Cellie. Celica!"

"Mom-?"

All at once, his mother tore out of the room, and he lurched to go after her.

"Celica!" she screamed, crashing through the door and heading for the stairs. "Niko!"

"Mom, wait!" Eizen shouted, chasing her down the stairs to where the flames raged hot and vicious. He grabbed her arm just before she dove headfirst into the fire, and she struggled to escape his grip.

"Niko!" she wailed. "Celica! _Celicaaaaaaaaa_!"

"Mom, we can't go that way!" Eizen tried to tell her. "We'll have better luck going around front. Dad'll take care of the hellion, and we'll get Niko and Cellie there."

But Velvet was not listening, still straining towards the tongues of flame that almost seemed to reach for her in return.

Another crash sounded, followed by two more, and the entire treehouse shook violently. In the chaos, a burning chunk of wood fell from above and hit Velvet square in the temple; she crumpled instantly.

"Mom!" Eizen exclaimed, bending down to put her arm over his shoulders. "Mom, come on, let's go." He turned around to face up the steps. "Dad! Dad, help me!"

Rokurou came running, only a little unsteady, and he didn't ask before helping Eizen drag Velvet back upstairs.

"Celica…" Velvet mumbled. "Niko…"

"Mom, Cellie and Niko will be fine," Eizen insisted once they were back in the entryway.

Gaining speed, Rokurou dashed for a small box on a shelf, opening it and grabbing something from inside. Then he turned for the door and kicked it open. "Eizen," he called, "help your mother over here. I'll catch her." And he jumped down.

"Come on, mom," Eizen murmured to his mother, half-carrying her, half-dragging her to the open door.

Cool night air met them as they reached the threshold, smoke that had started to build up trickling out into the starry sky. With his mother delirious, Eizen made a split-second decision and pushed her over the edge, counting on his father to catch her safely, before jumping down himself. Velvet landed neatly in Rokurou's arms, and Eizen dropped to a knee to reduce the impact of his fall. All three of them took a minute to cough the smoke out of their lungs.

"Here," Rokurou told his wife once he caught his breath, popping her mouth open and dropping a red glob between her parted lips. "Eat this, hurry."

"An apple gel?" Eizen asked as his mother chewed twice and swallowed.

"Good thing I bought them," Rokurou chuckled, though Eizen hadn't known they'd ever stocked the medicine at all. He didn't ask questions, though, as Rokurou helped Velvet to her feet and Eizen took back his place under his mother's arm, instead focusing on the catastrophe at hand. _Focus now, think later, _he reminded himself.

Together, they worked their way slowly around the tree, Velvet stumbling only a little as they made for back entrance, which was right next to Celica's room. As they rounded a corner, they were met with the sight of both an inferno, and the hellion who had caused it.

The creature looked vaguely human at first glance: it stood on two legs, and had two arms and one head. Its torso hinted at female curves, covered in a small black dress that came down to midthigh. At the knees and elbows, however, the beast's limbs seemed to swell and distort, covered in shiny black scales, until becoming unrecognizable at the ends. The feet were more like claws, with three front toes and one behind, and massive talons speared forth from the bloated palms, each one nearly as long as the beast's arms and dyed a deep crimson; they were so long that though the hellion appeared to be holding its fingers splayed, palms parallel to the ground, the curved, needle-sharp points barely avoided gouging the earth underfoot. Above the neck, the face, while not otherwise distorted, was also covered in black scales, through which glowing red eyes slitted over a grinning mouth full of fangs. Black, thorny horns twisted on either side of its head. From its back sprouted two draconian wings that looked too small to allow for full flight, though a glide might not have been out of the question.

_A seraph?_ Eizen thought. _It looks part-dragon…and also not much bigger than Edna…_ He shook his head. _Oh, big sis, please don't let that be you!_

"Those claws," Velvet breathed.

Eizen and Rokurou turned to her.

"They look like mine," she said distantly, her golden eyes glazed over.

"Nah, yours weren't nearly that long," Rokurou dismissed with a smile. "Yours were more like the Kurogane Daggers; _those_ are more the size of greatswords. Take it from the guy who's still covered with scars from being on the receiving end of your talons back in the day."

"This isn't the time for jokes," Eizen pointed out to his father.

"True." Rokurou's grin twisted as he drew the swords he always had slung over his back but only ever took out when battling hellions. Just having his weapons in his hands seemed to wipe away the last traces of a hangover, and he dashed forward, roaring a battle cry as he bore down on the beast that had set the fire.

The creature turned towards the noise and smiled, lifting its massive claws and blocking Rokurou's swords easily, as though it knew what he would do. Then it opened its mouth and spoke.

"Always with the battle cries, father," she taunted. "Why can't you ever sneak up on an opponent for once?"

Her voice was horribly familiar, and Rokurou stumbled back.

"Niko?" Eizen gasped, his blood running cold.

Niko threw her demented head back and laughed, that same, unhinged laugh Eizen had heard before. "Behold, my family," she declared with a grin, spreading her crimson talons wide, "the darkness accepts me at last! Come! Join me in its burning embrace, and together, we will live forever!"

"Niko, stop this!" Eizen shouted. "What have you done?! The house is burning down, Celica will die!"

"My dear sister will _never_ die," Niko told her brother proudly. "None of us will. Come, join me!"

"Eizen." Rokurou had slowly backstepped to shield his wife and son from any attack Niko might set on them. "Get to Ladylake; take your mother. We need the Shepherd's power."

"I don't think so!" Niko said in a singsong voice.

In her bloated palms, black flames ignited, building and expanding as she thrust her hands forward, sending a torrent of dark fire straight towards her family. Though Eizen had only ever heard of the Silver Flame, whatever Niko was doing looked like the polar opposite of that.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Eizen helplessly watched the malevolence bear down on them. Glancing over, he saw his father sheathe one of his swords, the one that was black and red, before grasping the other in two hands and raising it above his head. With a cry, Rokurou brought down the silver blade, and a blast of energy burst forth, cutting through the wicked flames and pushing them back.

Eizen blinked. He had never known his father's swords could do that.

"I'll hold her off," Rokurou told Eizen, his eyes gleaming as he glanced over his shoulder at his family. "Take your mother and go to Ladylake. Find Sorey. _Now_!"

Without waiting for a response, the ancient swordsman charged towards his corrupted daughter, who laughed again as she deflected the swing of his blade with her talons. Eizen stared at them for a moment, then shook his head hard, snapping himself out of his daze.

"Mom," he told his mother, who was still draped over his shoulder, "we have to go."

He turned away from the burning house and began walking, forcing his mother along with him.

"Celica," she whimpered as he put one boot in front of the other.

"Dad'll take care of Celica," Eizen told her, unsure if this was true or even possible. "But we need to find Sorey. Come on, let's get to Ladylake. There's no way he and Mikleo have left by now."

And he dragged his mother under the trees, while behind him, his home burned, his father and sister battling it out in the midst of a hellish inferno.

~o~

Though it was dark, and the ground underfoot was uneven, Eizen managed to find solid footholds with each step, not stumbling even once; this wasn't much help, though, as his mother refused to move more than a little. As he made his way around the lake to the entrance to the city, he muttered soothing reassurances mindlessly, focusing his energy on doing what had to be done: _Focus now, think later._ Sometimes, she would mumble things too, and he would fall silent, only for what she was saying to make little sense apart from his youngest sister's name.

"Cellie will be fine," he told her repeatedly. "Everything will be fine. We just need to find Sorey, all right? Come on, we just need to get to Ladylake, everything will be okay…"

It felt like hours before the trees began to thin out; as they finally reached the open spaces of Lakehaven Heights, the sky was just beginning to brighten with pre-dawn light. Still, the party had run obscenely late, so the journey had probably only taken a little less than two hours - it usually took about an hour by foot, and they'd been slow. With the bridge into Ladylake in sight, Eizen felt a surge of energy, and he dragged his mother across the grass to the road, where at last she managed to start placing her feet, if unsteadily.

"Hey!" he called to the guards who stood at the Ladylake entrance as he approached. "Hey, open the gates!"

"What on earth…?" asked one of the knights.

"We need the Shepherd," Eizen told them firmly. "Is he in there? Please, we need his help."

"Shepherd Sorey has not yet left Ladylake," one of the guards stated, though his tone was questioning.

"Then let us in," Eizen said. "Please…please let us in…" Desperation mixed with fatigue sent his eyes burning, though he managed to hold himself together. "Please…"

The two knights on duty looked at each other, then turned and called for the gates to be opened. Not waiting for them, Eizen carried his mother forward, shoving through as the massive doors began to crack.

"We're here," he murmured to Velvet as he dragged her along the path. "We're in Ladylake, we've almost found Sorey, everything's going to be okay soon." Raising his head, he turned to the first person he saw, of which there were very few around at this hour. "Where is the Shepherd?" he asked. "Do you know where the Shepherd is?"

"Think he's in the Sanctuary," the man in question slurred; Eizen didn't recognize his face, but guessed he'd been at the party and had had too much to drink, and had only come outside now to leave the puddle of vomit on the sidewalk that Eizen skirted around.

"Thank you," Eizen told him as he passed, and he forced Velvet up the stairs to the marketplace and through the deserted stalls, muttering reassurances to her all the way.

At last, Eizen pushed the Sanctuary doors open, and was met with the welcome sight of Sorey, Lailah, and Mikleo standing together, presumably saying their goodbyes before Sorey and Mikleo set out on another expedition. Seeing Sorey sent Eizen dropping to his knees, relief washing over him and reminding him of just how exhausted he was. His mother slumped to the floor beside him, her arm slipping from over his shoulders, and she curled up on the Sanctuary floor.

"Oh my goodness!" Lailah exclaimed, running over to them. "What happened?"

"It's Niko," Eizen told her as Sorey and Mikleo approached, and he turned his eyes on the Shepherd. "Please, please help us. Niko is a hellion."

Lailah gasped and recoiled.

"No."

Everyone looked at where Velvet lay curled on her side.

"Niko is the Lord of Calamity," she whispered.

It hurt to hear it said out loud, but Eizen nodded. "She is," he admitted. "Please, Sorey, please help…"

"Where's everyone else?" Mikleo asked sharply.

"My father stayed behind to fend Niko off while my mother and I escaped," Eizen answered. "As for Celica…we don't know. There was a fire, the treehouse was on fire, and her room was right in the middle of the blaze, we can't be sure…" He trailed off as his vision went fuzzy and he fought to stay conscious.

"Lailah, Mikleo," Sorey said, "let's go."

"Shouldn't we find Edna and Zaveid?" Mikleo asked.

"There's no time," Sorey stated, shaking his head. "You know how long it takes to get there, there's already a chance Niko has escaped, or worse. We need to go _now_."

"But Sorey-!" Mikleo began, but the Shepherd was already charging out the doors of the Sanctuary. Mikleo looked at Lailah, who nodded, and they both vanished, presumably to rest within their Shepherd for the journey.

"Thank you," Eizen gasped to no one, and he collapsed beside his mother, only finding enough energy to spare a passing thought to worry about being in the way of anyone else who entered the Sanctuary before losing consciousness.

~o~

It felt like no time at all had passed, but Eizen must have gotten some sleep when light burned through his eyelids and roused him, because he didn't feel as battered as he had seemingly moments earlier. Opening his eyes, he saw white lights rising through the floor of the Sanctuary and gathering over the altar, quickly taking the shape of a dragon.

"Lailah!" Maotelus called out the moment he'd manifested.

Eizen stared.

Maotelus looked around. "Lailah?" he asked. "Sorey?" His gaze fell on Eizen and his mother, and he jerked in shock. "Eizen? Velvet? Velvet!"

The same light rose from the dragon, who dulled to a stone grey, and Maotelus's childlike form took shape.

"Velvet!" the boy exclaimed, running forward to kneel at Velvet's head. "What happened?"

"It's Niko," Eizen told Maotelus as the divine seraph held out his hands and began casting a healing arte on the fallen woman. "She's…the Lord of Calamity. Sorey already went to stop her. What are you doing here?"

Not ceasing his arte, Maotelus turned his jade eyes on Eizen. "I felt a tremendous malevolent domain in the east," he said; "I've been trying to burn it away myself, but I can't. I came here to tell Lailah she needed to find Sorey and send him to confront the source…but I guess he's already doing that, huh?"

"Yeah, that would be my sister," Eizen sighed.

Just then, Velvet gasped, her eyes flying open. Eizen realized she must have been more injured from the falling wood than he'd thought, and was grateful Maotelus had thought to cast a healing arte on her.

"Velvet," Maotelus said gently, putting his tiny hands on her shoulders, "it's okay. You're safe now, and Sorey's gone to quell Niko. You can rest."

"Rest…" Velvet whispered, crumpling to the floor again. "No rest…never rest…always pain…always…"

"Mom?" Eizen asked, alarmed. He put a hand on her shoulder, which was shaking now, and he realized she was crying as she kept muttering words.

"Lose…lose everything…always…my family…my love…my home…gone…always gone," she mumbled. "Always lose…no point…no point in love…no point in family…lose it all…just like before…like always…"

"Velvet, stop it!" Maotelus cried. "I'm here! Eizen's here! You haven't lost everything! And Sorey's going to rescue everyone else, you won't lose anything! Everything's going to be fine, Velvet!"

"Why me…?" Velvet went on, and Eizen got the sense she wasn't listening. "Always me…always mine…gone…lose it all…no point…hope…a waste…happiness…all a waste…always a waste…I'm poison…love…is poison…"

"Velvet, stop talking like this!" Maotelus shouted, grabbing her arm and shaking her. "It's not a waste! It's never a waste!" As he shouted, liquid pooled at the corners of his eyes, then slowly began to track down his face.

_A malak's tears._

It shouldn't have occurred to Eizen, he was exhausted and had so many other things to worry about, but the moment he saw Maotelus cry, he reached for the leather cord around his neck and was unscrewing the top on the little glass jar he carried before he even realized he was moving his hands at all.

"Maotelus, hold still," Eizen said, and he quickly placed the edge of the jar against the small seraph's cheek, just under where his tear was slowly pouring down.

"Huh?"

"Your tears," Eizen said. "I'm sorry, but I need to catch your tears. It's the last thing we need for the Omega Elixir."

Maotelus's jade eyes widened, and then he squeezed them shut, clearly trying to force more liquid out of them. One droplet slid into the jar, and a little bit more pooled with it. Quickly, Eizen moved the jar to Maotelus's chin, where the tears from his other eye were gathering, and caught another droplet, dragging the lip of the jar along the divine seraph's tiny face as he tried to scrape as much as he could into the glass. When it was done, there was a small amount of liquid in the bottom, just enough to pour out a single drop, maybe a bit more.

"Mom, look," Eizen said, screwing the lid back on and holding the jar in front of his mother's face. "A seraph's tears. It's the last thing we need. And I bet Maotelus's tears are pure enough that he might as well be a malak. See? Cellie's going to be okay!"

"Fire…" Velvet murmured. "Fire…"

"But the other ingredients were in a stone box," Eizen reminded her. "The one Edna made, remember? Even if the whole treehouse burns down, the other ingredients are safe, we just have to go back for them. Mom, Cellie's going to live!"

"No hope…" Velvet whispered. "Won't hope…_can't_ hope…can't waste…never again…"

Before Eizen or Maotelus could argue further, the doors of the Sanctuary creaked open, and a small figure stumbled in, her boots dragging on the floor.

"Edna!" Eizen exclaimed, relieved to see her safely away from Niko. "You're okay! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Baby brother," she mumbled, shuffling forward, and he noticed she had one arm around her stomach as though she was injured. "You made it…"

"Are you hurt?" Eizen asked, alarmed and torn between the desire to rush to his big sister's aid and to stay by his mother's side; the fact that he stayed where he was probably had more to do with being tired than his priorities.

"No…" Edna replied. "Just got through…_rrrgh_…one hell of a domain…"

Eizen understood immediately what was wrong. "Maotelus, can you help her?" he asked the divine seraph who still knelt in front of Velvet. "If she had to drag herself all the way through Niko's domain, the malevolence probably poisoned her."

"Right." Maotelus stood and jogged over to the earth seraph, white fire lighting along his right hand. As Eizen watched, the Great Lord placed his burning hand on Edna's arm, and the flames of purification spread across his big sister, who sighed with relief.

"Thanks," Edna told Maotelus, straightening up and opening her umbrella. Blue eyes turned on Eizen, and she said, "So that _was_ Niko's domain, huh?"

"Yeah…" Eizen sighed.

"I figured as much." Edna looked around, assessing who was and was not present. "Where's everyone else?"

"Dad stayed behind to hold her off while mom and I escaped," Eizen explained. "When we got here, we told Sorey what was happening, and he took Lailah and Mikleo and went to quell Niko and help my dad. And Cellie…we don't know what happened to Cellie. The whole treehouse was on fire, and her room was right in the middle of the blaze, but Niko insisted that Cellie wouldn't die, so…we don't know."

"Sorey already left?" Edna asked. "Without waiting for me? Please tell me Zaveid joined him, at least…"

"Not unless they happened to run into Zaveid on the way," Eizen replied; "Sorey said there was no time to look for either of you. And considering how long it would take to get to where we saw Niko last, he was right."

"So he went charging in with only half of his seraphim," Edna muttered. "Yep, that sounds like Sorey, all right."

"Sorey is the finest Shepherd the world has ever seen," Maotelus piped up. "He saved _me_, even when I was too far gone for my own power. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I doubt it," Edna said tonelessly. "Niko cast a more powerful domain than even Heldalf did, and Sorey only beat Heldalf with the help of that weird tool Zaveid gave him. With only half of the elements at his command, he probably won't last long."

"Don't say that!" Eizen and Maotelus exclaimed at the same time.

Edna chuckled mirthlessly. "You two really are family."

"The hell is going on around here?" came a new voice, and Eizen's wind seraph uncle came storming into view. "Can't a man get a little rest after a long night of partying?"

"Zaveid," Edna said dully. "What are you doing here? I'm guessing you read the wind?"

"I couldn't _not_ read it," Zaveid grumbled; "it's been doing nothing but howl that something's wrong for hours now. I thought maybe I'd find out what has the world all upset if I came here…Huh? Eizen? Is that you, kiddo?"

"Uncle Zaveid," Eizen greeted. The words he wanted to add, _I'm glad to see you_, stuck in his throat, as the fact that his uncle was here meant he was in fact _not _helping Sorey.

"What're you doing here?" asked the wind seraph.

"Long story short," Edna explained, "Niko is the Lord of Calamity, Rokurou fended her off while Eizen and Velvet escaped here, Celica's room was on fire last they saw, Sorey took Lailah and Mikleo to go and help clean up the mess without taking the time to look for either of us, and Maotelus…I don't know. Why are you here?" she asked the divine seraph.

"I came to tell Sorey he needed to go investigate in the east," Maotelus explained; "I tried to burn away the malevolence there, but it was too strong for me, so I needed the Shepherd to go and confront the source. But by the time I got here, he'd already gone."

"Then you should probably get back into the earthpulse," Zaveid told him seriously. "Don't worry about what's going on here, Edna and I have everything covered. The world needs the Dragon of Light right now."

"Yes, you're right," Maotelus agreed, nodding, and he returned into the dull grey dragon that lay slumped over half the Sanctuary. Arising as he regained his glow, Maotelus spoke in his Great Lord form, "I will do everything I can to aid Sorey. Eizen, Velvet, you should rest. You've been through a lot."

And he dissolved back into the earth.

"Well, this is a mighty fine mess," Zaveid remarked, rubbing a hand over his face. "I thought Niko's resolve was too pure for her to turn."

"It's like I told Edna yesterday," Eizen said softly; "something had to give eventually." He sighed heavily; he was so unbelievably tired, but with bright sunlight streaming through the Sanctuary doors, he knew he couldn't rest. "Has school started yet? I need to get going."

"School?" Zaveid repeated with a laugh. "Eizen, you just escaped the Lord of Calamity, Lailah's off attending her Prime Lord duties, and most of your teachers had at least as much to drink last night as I did. I think today's an unofficial holiday, especially for you."

"But…" Eizen forced himself to his feet, his knees shaking. _Discipline,_ he reminded himself, drawing on the lessons his father had taught him. _The wants of the body are nothing against the resolve of the mind._

"No buts," Zaveid said firmly, even as Eizen steadied himself. "You need rest. Velvet too, from the look of things." He walked over to the crumpled woman, whom, Eizen realized, had passed out at some point. "Come on, babe," Zaveid muttered as he hefted Velvet into his arms. "Let's get you somewhere more comfortable."

"Our house was on fire," Eizen reminded his uncle. "Where are we supposed to stay?"

"Follow me," Zaveid told him in response, walking towards the back of the Sanctuary. "The priests here keep a couple of beds nearby just in case their duties tire them too much to settle at home. If any of 'em are in there now, we'll clear 'em out."

"Agreed," Edna concurred, walking up beside Zaveid, and Eizen followed them. "They can't say no to the will of the seraphim without spitting on everything they claim to believe in."

Though he knew he could have lasted the day, Eizen was relieved enough at the prospect of being able to sleep that he didn't argue. No one opposed them as they exited the back door of the Sanctuary and rounded a couple of corners before barging in on a small house that contained only a couple of cots; Zaveid settled Velvet on one, taking off her boots and her gauntlet blade and setting them on a nearby table before tucking her under the blankets, while Eizen unbuckled his katana and stepped out of his own boots before collapsing onto another other bed, surrendering to sleep at last.

~o~

It was dark when Eizen awoke. For a moment, he was confused by his surroundings - the thin bed, the stone room, the huge window that let in the moonlight. Then he remembered.

_Breathe,_ he told himself, closing his eyes. _Just breathe. You did everything you could. Whatever happened, whatever you're about to find out, there was nothing else you could have done, for anyone._

After calming himself for a minute, he sat up and reached for his katana.

"It's about time you woke up, baby brother."

The familiar, emotionless voice was like a cool drink of water to his parched soul.

"Big sis," he smiled, turning to see Edna leaning against a wall. "I'm really glad you made it out okay, you know?"

"And I'm glad you made it out too," she said simply.

Her face was completely blank, and she didn't offer any further information at all. Eizen's smile faltered. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Where…where are Sorey and the others? Where's my dad?"

"They haven't come back," she told him. "There's been no word from the east, from anyone. Nothing about the Lord of Calamity, nothing about the Shepherd. It's as though everyone to the east of Ladylake simply vanished."

Eizen closed his eyes again and took a breath, sitting up straight and cupping his hands in front of his naval in what Edna always called his 'thinking stance' as he processed this unexpected news. "That's good, then," he responded at last. "If Sorey had fallen, Niko would have wanted to tell the world."

"And if Niko had fallen, Sorey would have wanted to tell the world," Edna pointed out. "The fact that we haven't heard anything at all is just weird."

"It's probably taking a while to fully stop my sister," Eizen sighed, relaxing his pose to put a hand to his forehead and rub his temple. "This is what she's always wanted. Even if Sorey beat her and purified her, whatever she did to make this happen, she would just do it again."

"Not everyone can be purified, baby brother," Edna said. "Sometimes hellions hold onto their malevolence and reject the flame. Your parents did, at first."

"Yeah…" Eizen sighed. "And Niko won't let this go now that she has it. There's not much Sorey can do about that."

"So what do you think he'll do?" Edna asked.

"You know him better than me," Eizen pointed out.

"Without Rose as his Squire, he'll try to find a peaceful solution," Edna said resignedly. "He has a hard time killing hellions who won't be quelled."

"Well, my dad's there," Eizen mused. "He has no problem killing hellions. Maybe…maybe he and Sorey teamed up to beat Niko down, and now they're trying to decide what to do with her."

"For a whole day?" Edna asked pointedly.

"It takes a while to get there from here," Eizen stated. "They'll probably be back any minute, one way or the other."

"Keep telling yourself that," Edna muttered as Eizen stood and walked over to where his mother still lay. "She's fine, by the way," Edna added before Eizen could speak; "no injuries left, at least."

"She worked so hard all day yesterday to set up Cellie's party," Eizen said softly. "From the moment she woke up, she slaved over fires and cutting boards trying to prepare enough food. Then there was the party itself, which lasted almost all night. She had maybe an hour's sleep before I woke her up…and then everything that happened after…" He sighed. "I'm glad she's still asleep. I'd be more worried if she'd woken up by now."

"But you are worried."

"You didn't hear the stuff she was saying before she passed out, big sis," Eizen said. "It was like she was reliving the night she lost her brother, or her sister, or both, all over again. She kept saying hope was a waste and her love was poison, that she's always going to lose everything she cares about and there's no point in trying anymore."

"While I understand she's been through a lot, that's a really stupid thing to say," Edna remarked. "You're still here, after all. And Maotelus wasn't even touched by this. She hasn't lost everything."

"I know, but…but she's lost so much," Eizen whispered. "After everything she went through just to build a new life for herself with my father, only to have it all come crashing down again…" He looked over at his seraphic sister. "Yes, I'm worried about her. If dad and Cellie don't come back okay, I don't know what it will do to her. We've already lost the house."

"What about Niko?"

"Niko…I think even mom knows she's a lost cause," Eizen admitted. "She doesn't want to say it, but I think she knows. But dad and Cellie…" He shook his head.

"Well, standing by her bedside talking about it isn't going to help," Edna said. "You might as well go and get some fresh air."

"Did school happen?" Eizen asked. "How much did I miss?"

"Relax," Edna told him, rolling her eyes, "school was canceled for the day. Between Lailah being gone, most of the other teachers being hung over, and me and Zaveid declaring a local emergency, no one even bothered opening the doors."

"A local emergency?" Eizen questioned.

Edna shrugged. "There's a new Lord of Calamity," she said. "Whether Sorey takes her down or not, no one is safe until we hear otherwise."

"I see…"

There wasn't much else to say. Eizen left the room he'd been staying in and walked outside, taking the back alley around the Sanctuary to the marketplace. No one else was around; presumably, they were all trying to stay in their homes until the threat was gone, and Eizen was grateful for the quiet.

As he walked through the deserted streets, he tried to process everything that had happened. 'Focus now, think later' was what his father had always taught him, and now was the 'later' when he could think…and yet, there was one thought that stood like a blockade in his mind, preventing him from progressing beyond it:

_My sister is the Lord of Calamity._

This was a difficult idea to process - even more so than that his mother had once been the Lord of Calamity, as that was in the past, a time long gone, and people changed with time. Niko, meanwhile, was the Lord of Calamity _now_, and that was unbelievable. The Lord of Calamity was a monster of legend, only appearing in the darkest times of the past fifteen hundred years, and now was not a dark time. Now was a peaceful time, a time when all should have been right with the world. Eizen had known, had _said_ to his big sister, that Niko's purity couldn't last forever, given how determined she was, but for it to suddenly strike like this, for seemingly no reason…

_There was nothing else anyone could have done,_ he told himself, though this fact wasn't comforting. _Everyone tried everything to get her to understand how wrong she was, and mom and dad always avoided giving her any reason to feel angry or resentful as they tried to guide her. She wouldn't listen. She never listens to anyone. And now…now we're all suffering for it. Especially mom._

_Mom…_ He shook his head to himself._ I__f people gave me trouble for being hellion-spawn before, they'll never let me hear the end of this now. My whole family is branded forever, not just by my mother and father but by my sister too…_

"Hey?"

Quick as a flash, Eizen turned towards the unexpected noise with his katana drawn. Behind him stood a tanned, shirtless seraph with green-tipped hair.

"Uncle," he sighed, sheathing his blade. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm keeping watch," Zaveid replied; "what are _you_ doing out here?"

"Edna suggested I get some air," Eizen explained. "And I…I needed to think."

"Hm." Folding his arms, Zaveid leaned against the nearest wall, and after a moment, Eizen walked over and joined him. It was comforting, being with his family as he stood here in the stone city of the lake, far from home and everything else that was familiar, and he felt his racing thoughts ease. For a long minute, they just stood together, both weighed down by the recent events and leaning on their family to help them through it all.

"I, uh…I hear you and Edna declared a local emergency, and that it kept school closed," Eizen said at last.

"Yeah, we're the only acting seraphim around, with Lailah and Mikboy off fighting the new Lord of Calamity," Zaveid responded. "Everyone'll listen to us because there really isn't anyone else to listen to."

"What about the royal family?"

"Eh, they're figureheads and they know it," Zaveid dismissed. "Now that we seraphim can be seen by everyone, we get to make all the rules. Just as well…" His expression darkened. "I don't like that we haven't heard back yet. It's best that everyone stay as safe as possible in their homes, without politicians arguing over what should be done."

"Yeah…it's weird," Eizen agreed pensively. "If Niko had won, she'd want everyone to know it…but if Sorey won, he'd want us to know that everything's okay. Why would there be nothing?"

"Beats me," Zaveid grumbled. "But I'm keeping an eye on the wind around here, so nothing sneaks up on us. Whoever comes back, we'll know if we need to be ready."

"Can you read the wind to tell us what's happening at the treehouse?" Eizen asked.

"Who the hell do you think I am, Hyanoa?!" Zaveid exclaimed. "I'm just an ordinary wind seraph, I can't see that far!"

"An ordinary wind seraph who can cast illusory artes," Eizen pointed out.

"Yep, I can cast illusory artes," Zaveid sighed. "I took an oath not to kill, in exchange for the power to conjure illusions. Nothing else."

"I see…" Eizen looked up at the sky. A couple of thin clouds scudded along in front of the twinkling stars, and a crescent moon shone just above the city skyline. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words for them, wasn't sure even the stars would be able to find the words.

"No sense in worrying," Zaveid told him after a minute, somehow reading his silence perfectly. "Whatever's coming, it'll come, whether we want it to or not."

"Do you think Sorey might lose?" Eizen asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I think I've seen less likely things," Zaveid answered. "In this world, you never know. Take it from someone who's been around a while, and seen everything he could: You never know."

"I understand," Eizen nodded, though he still refused to consider the possibility.

"No you don't," Zaveid muttered, and he sighed. "Go on, get back inside. As soon as word comes, I'll tell you."

"Thanks, uncle," Eizen said, and he left the old wind seraph to watch the night.

~o~

After he was done walking and breathing the night air, Eizen went to the Sanctuary, where he stat on the steps to Uno's vessel and meditated. No amount of fatigue could combat the nervous anxiety that was building in his gut with each minute that went by without word from the east, so he rested the only way he could, practicing the discipline his father had worked so hard to teach him.

_Father…Please be okay. You and Celica both. Please…Mother couldn't bear it if something happened to you…_

Time passed, and still, there was nothing. Sunrise came and went, and then there were people out and about in the city again; Eizen could hear the vendors at the market setting up and calling out to passers-by, and light streamed through the stained glass windows. When the noise, muffled though it was, became too much, Eizen opened his eyes and stood to take another walk outside.

No one paid him any mind, even though he came out the Sanctuary doors, which felt oddly unnerving. After a minute, he found the person he was looking for: Zaveid was among the people milling around the marketplace, though he didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular.

"Uncle," Eizen greeted, jogging over to him. "Will there be school today?"

"I don't think so," Zaveid replied, his eyes looking around warily. "I wish more people would stay in, honestly."

"Any news?"

"Nothing yet, but - wait." Zaveid's eyes widened, and he turned to the southeast. "Something's coming," he murmured. "Be ready."

"Something?" Eizen repeated. "Something like what?"

A roar in the distance answered his question, as two black specks took shape on the horizon in the direction Zaveid was watching.

"Dragons," Zaveid cursed under his breath.

A few people nearby heard his word and looked, though the warning didn't do them much good; the dragons were approaching fast, their roars growing louder and more distinct. Soon, panic began to spread through the people of Ladylake, some ducking and hiding, others running and screaming.

"Mom," Eizen said under his breath, and he turned for the path to the Sanctuary rear, but even as he took his first step, a massive shadow was cast over him.

Eizen looked up, and saw two enormous, scaly beasts hovering overhead. He had only read about dragons in books, but now here they were, right in front of him. And yet…they didn't dive at the people below, or breathe fire. Instead, they flapped their wings just hard enough to stay in place, as though they were waiting for something.

"Lailah," Zaveid breathed. "You too, babe?"

Alarmed, Eizen glanced at his uncle, then followed the wind seraph's wide-eyed gaze to the white-horned dragon overhead. It look similar to the illusory display Eizen had seen years ago of the dragon Theodora turned into, but it wasn't quite the same: instead of black, ethereal shapes implying wings, the serpentine monster had two pairs of physical wings that beat, buffeting the panicked crowd below with gusts of wind. _That's Lailah?_ he thought, dazed._ Does that_ _mean…?_ He turned his attention to the other dragon, this one bulkier and with horns the same color as its scales - it looked like the dragon Silva had become. _Is that Mikleo? But…but then where's Sorey?_

"Behold!"

The sudden voice drew the attention of everyone still outside, and the people looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from.

"Up here!" Niko shouted, rising to her clawed feet on one of the dragons' backs. "Up here, you fools!"

With gasps of alarm, the crowd raised their heads to look at the Lord of Calamity, who stood perched on the back of the white-horned dragon. Her crimson claws spread wide, and her left hand flicked slightly; as though on command, the dragon hovering beside her threw a load it was carrying to the ground, and people screamed and ran to get out of the way as a bloody bundle wrapped in a feathered cloak crashed into the cobblestones hard enough to leave a crater.

"Behold!" Niko repeated grandly. "Sorey, the Shepherd of legend, is dead by my hand, his seraphim now dragons who fight at my side! You have no choice but to hear what I have come to say!"

Cries of alarm nearly drowned out this last, and Eizen stared in horror at the crumpled heap that had been the Shepherd.

"Damn," Zaveid muttered from beside him, "the girl sure knows how to make an entrance."


	4. Don't Let it Fade Out

Chaos reigned below the two dragons who hovered over Ladylake, humans and seraphim alike screaming and running wildly with no direction in mind. Only the space around the fallen Shepherd was peaceful, as no one wanted to get close enough to confirm his identity. Through the maddened crowd, Eizen turned at the sound of the Sanctuary doors and saw Edna come out, her face expressionless as she surveyed the mayhem.

"_SILENCE_!" came a roar from above at last.

Stunned, everyone fell still, their faces turned upwards in fear.

"Good people of Ladylake," Niko crooned, still balanced atop the back of the white-horned dragon she rode - _Lailah,_ Eizen reminded himself, _that thing used to be Lailah, Zaveid said so,_ "please, do not be afraid. I am not here to harm you. I'm sorry I had to kill your Shepherd, but he refused to listen to me. I only hope all of you will be more receptive."

As she spread her crimson claws wide, the longest of which was almost the size of Eizen's katana, Eizen took a good look at his corrupted sister in the daylight. What he'd thought he'd seen in the light of the fire had been entirely accurate, but now he could make out the scales that spotted her thighs and upper arms before they began to swell and bloat at the knees and elbows under a thick layer of black scales, until the hands and feet were more like the paws of a dragon. Her neck, too, was spotted with black scales here and there, sharp against the pale skin, before thickening to cover her face. And the wings, which she spread dramatically, looked just like the ones that kept her mount aloft, though they still seemed a bit small. _She looks half-dragon,_ Eizen thought. _How is that possible? She's not a seraph!_

"I am not here to harm you," Niko repeated. "I have come to save you, save you from the lies you've been fed, of light and purity. You have all been taught that malevolence is something to fear, that the power of purification is a blessing, but tell me, what has your beloved Shepherd ever truly done for this world?"

People began muttering among themselves, and Niko raised her voice, which had already been plenty loud to be heard over the beating of two dragons' wings. Eizen knew full well where she was going with this, and he gritted his teeth.

"You are all told from birth that the power of purification is salvation," Niko went on, almost shouting, "and that malevolence is an imperfection, a curse. But tell me, good people, if the Shepherd's power was truly a cure, why does malevolence still endure? Why must new Shepherds arise to defeat new Lords of Calamity, Age after Age, if malevolence was a mistake?"

More mutters.

"No," Niko said, "malevolence is not a flaw. Malevolence is the only true force in this world, the only thing that will endure the Ages no matter what. Why, then, do you fight it? Why do you shun those who embraced it, like my parents? Oh yes," Niko added, as several cries of alarm rose from the crowd, "you know me well. I am Niko Rangetsu-Crowe, the one many of you scorned as 'hellion-spawn'. And it is true, what you have heard; my parents were hellions for many, many centuries, enduring through malevolence alone. It granted them immortality, freedom from all of life's ailments. And why did they let themselves be purified in the end?" Her twisted, scale-covered face sneered, revealing long, sharp teeth and a forked tongue. "For lies," she hissed. "Lies, that they were broken so long as they held onto that which gave them eternal youth and strength. They believed it, and so were stripped of their power, subject once more to the agonies of life, all for nothing."

"That's not true!" Eizen cried, unable to contain himself any longer.

Everyone turned to him in surprise, but he kept his attention on his sister.

"You know that's not true, Niko!" Eizen shouted at her. "Our parents were _miserable_ as hellions! Mom couldn't live without hating whatever she could find an excuse to hate; dad couldn't feel anything at all! They let themselves be purified because they couldn't go on existing like that, half-alive and lacking what made them who they are!"

"Don't be absurd, dear brother, they were fully alive," Niko mocked. "And they could have lived forever, but instead they chose death. How is the ability to die not a flaw?"

"You're thirteen, Niko!" Eizen snapped. "You're not old enough to understand the difference between being alive and just not being dead! Mom and dad were _broken_! They couldn't feel happiness or peace, because malevolence doesn't let anyone corrupted by it ever feel at rest! _That's_ what makes malevolence a curse - eternal life, maybe, but with no joy, no satisfaction, no fulfillment! It's worse than being dead!"

"Oh, my poor, naïve brother," Niko taunted. "If hellions can feel no joy or satisfaction, then explain to me what I feel right now? Because I have never felt happier, or more fulfilled. Nor have my companions…don't you agree, father?"

Her crimson eyes turned to the dragon hovering beside hers, the one that had been Mikleo, and from its back arose a horrible four-armed hellion with a sickening grin. Its skin was black, streaked heavily with red veins, and spikes ran down its head and neck.

"This is power," said the beast, and though his voice was demented, it was still very clearly the voice of Rokurou Rangetsu-Crowe; Eizen fought back the urge to be sick. "This is life. Why would I ever give this up?"

Niko laughed, that horrible, deranged laugh Eizen had heard over the crackling of flames the night of Cellie's birthday. "And what of you, my sweet little sister?" she added, turning behind her. "What do you think of this existence? Is it such a curse to you?"

Eizen's already-ill stomach dropped to his boots when a small green hellion came crawling along the side of the white-horned dragon Niko rode. Its movements were quick, its tiny claws sure-footed as it wound its way around Lailah's neck to stand atop her head. Chittering excitedly, the little monster jumped on its perch a few times, as though for sheer joy of being able to move. Its body was furred but humanoid, two legs and two arms, though its ears were enormous and shaped like those of a cat, and its eyes were yellow orbs.

"Celica…" Eizen whispered.

"You see, people of Ladylake?" Niko asked, returning her attention to the crowd. "All of you know how my young sister was horribly sick, slowly dying and barely able to get out of bed some days. Now, she stands before you, healthy and full of energy. This is what malevolence does, for all those who embrace it. It is not a curse! It is a blessing!"

"You're _wrong_!" Eizen roared. "She can't even speak, Niko! Do you think she really understands what's happening?! That's not life! She's worse than dead, and so are you!"

But Niko just laughed again, the laugh of a lunatic. "I will give you time to think," she told the crowd. "I will give you time to mourn your Shepherd, and decide what you truly want for yourselves. When I return, I expect an answer." She sat down on the dragon's back again, gently scraping the tips of her claws against its scales. "Come, my white-horned beauty," she said, almost lovingly; "we have much to do."

Rokurou sat down on his dragon again, and Celica crawled back behind her sister. Then, the two dragons dove down into the crowd, sending people scattering and screaming, but it quickly became clear that the maneuver was only to build momentum before they swung back upwards and flew away.

"Are those dragons…obeying her?" Eizen breathed. It was just one more unthinkable thing among many; everyone knew that dragons were mindless instruments of destruction who listened to nothing and nobody, yet the dragons who had once been Lailah and Mikleo didn't seem to do anything unless Niko told them to. But that was impossible…

No one answered him. In fact, no one moved at all, for a long moment. It was Zaveid who broke the stillness, walking over to the body Niko had left behind and kneeling down. Everyone held their breath as he turned the bloody heap over…and took off his hat sorrowfully.

"Sorey," he sighed. "I can't believe it ended like this…"

Gasps and murmurs of alarm swept through the crowd. "The Shepherd is dead," they whispered to each other fearfully. "The Shepherd is dead…"

Time blurred for Eizen after that. Later, he would remember Zaveid picking the dead Shepherd up in his arms, he would remember Edna appearing at his side, he would remember a lot of chaos among the citizens of Ladylake, and he would remember his mother's screams as Edna and Zaveid told her what had happened, but not much else. His next moment of full consciousness found him sitting on the cot where he'd slept the previous day, Edna in front of him and wiping his face with a wet towel.

"What…?" he rasped.

"Easy, baby brother," Edna told him. "You're in shock, and I don't blame you. But you need all these soot stains cleaned off for the funeral."

"Funeral…?" Eizen repeated.

"Sorey is dead," Edna told him, as though he might have forgotten. "Ladylake is holding a massive memorial for him, led by Maotelus himself. You said you wanted to be there."

"I don't want to be there," Eizen said listlessly, unable to muster even as much emotion as Edna was showing. "But I _have_ to be there. My sister did this. I have to be there." He shook his head, trying to clear it, even as Edna kept trying to clean him up. "Will there be a new Shepherd?" he asked. "We need a new Shepherd…"

"More than that, we need a new Prime Lord, with Lailah gone," Edna remarked. "I'm not sure how that's going to go."

"Are people listening to my sister?" Eizen asked. "Is there…is there talk of letting her do what she wants?"

"Some seraphim are trying to help a few dissenters understand why she's wrong," Edna answered, "but most people are just confused, as humans usually are. I don't think you have to worry about people siding with Niko, though. Humans aren't _that_ stupid, for the most part."

Eizen sighed, then looked over at where his mother was curled up on her cot. "How's my mother?" he asked softly.

"She took it hard," Edna replied; "what do you expect? We're lucky she passed out again." She stepped back, appraising her work. "It'll have to do," she sighed. "The funeral is in a few minutes. Even if you don't go, I have to be there, since I was his Sub Lord once."

"I'm going," Eizen said firmly, standing up. He reached for his katana, and was glad to find it still strapped around his waist. "I have to, on behalf of my family…the family that killed him."

"Suit yourself, baby brother," Edna shrugged as she made for the door.

Though he was still reeling, Eizen made himself follow.

Outside, they took the path to the back door of the Sanctuary, which was just as well, as it was packed in the front. Sorey's body lay behind the altar where the Sacred Blade normally stood waiting to be drawn by a new Shepherd, and Edna took her place beside Zaveid and Uno, the local Lord of the Land, just beyond that. Oddly, the crowd seemed to be keeping itself to the front half of the room, leaving space even in front of the altar, and Eizen made his way around the pillars along the walls to stand back in silent vigil with everyone else. Luckily, the people nearest him were seraphim, presumably also trying to keep to the edges of the crowd.

When light rose from beneath the floor, Eizen understood the odd arrangement of people; the massive figure of Maotelus manifested in all his divine glory, and every bit of space that was left was needed to accommodate his size.

"People of the land," he declared, "we are here to mourn the loss of the Shepherd, Sorey, felled at the hands of a new Lord of Calamity."

Respectful murmurs rippled through the crowd in response.

"Sorey was the finest Shepherd this world has ever known," Maotelus declared, surprising Eizen. "Not only did he embody the Shepherd's duty, to stand alone between the light and the dark and help all those who walk this earth, but through ingenuity and sacrifice, he saved _me_ from corruption, allowing me to heal and resume my duties as leader of the Five Lords after a tremendous tragedy left me consumed with darkness. He did this, not knowing how long it would take, how much he might lose by becoming my vessel and holding himself in stasis until I could return to the land; everything he knew might have been long gone by the time his work was done, yet he saved me, with no thought for himself, when I was too far gone to ask for help. It is because of him that there is still hope today."

_And for what?_ Eizen found himself thinking as the Great Lord finished his speech and the three seraphim who had served Sorey stepped forward to add their own input - even Uno, though he hadn't been Sorey's Sub Lord, had a lot to say about the fallen Shepherd. _To die at the hands of a monster who would never have existed if not for your love?_

Shutting out the talking, Eizen closed his eyes and took his thinking stance, sorting through all the confusion, all the pain, all the fear. His family wouldn't exist if not for Sorey and Maotelus, and this was what had happened. No…this couldn't be the end. This could not be his family's legacy. There had to be some purpose, some meaning behind it all…or at the very least, something he could do about it…

Wrestling his emotions into place took the rest of the memorial, and when he opened his eyes, Maotelus was burning away the remains of the Shepherd Sorey with white fire. Eizen hadn't realized the flames of purification could act as a funeral pyre, but the Silver Flame seemed to recognize that the dead flesh no longer served any purpose, and Sorey's body dissolved under its light until the floor where he had been was entirely bare, leaving only the Sacred Blade behind; even the cloak Sorey had worn was gone.

After a moment of silence, Maotelus lifted his head and spoke once more.

"People of Glenwood, though we mourn the previous Shepherd, the fact remains that a new one must rise if we are to survive this tragedy," he said. "In order for there to be a new Shepherd, there needs to be a new Prime Lord, since Lailah now serves the Lord of Calamity. I need a seraph who is willing to take on this duty to step forward and take the Sacred Blade."

"Why can't you be the Prime Lord?" called someone from the crowd, a voice Eizen vaguely recognized but couldn't place. "Wield the flames of purification yourself!"

"It is true that the power of the Shepherd is my power," Maotelus said, "but I am as susceptible to malevolence as any seraph - as I said, I did once fall, and had Sorey not saved me, the world would have torn itself apart without my guidance. My duties as Great Lord are too important for me to walk alongside a Shepherd and risk my purity, for it is through me that the land itself is kept safe. Thus, I must rely on another seraph to stand in my place. It is a tremendous responsibility, and a dangerous one, but I need a seraph to step forward for me."

No one spoke, and Eizen took a moment to marvel at how the small, cheerful boy he had seen laugh with his youngest sister could be so formal and serious now.

"It need not be a fire seraph," Maotelus added. "Traditionally, the Prime Lord is a fire seraph, but the flames of purification are not a fire-based power. They are of the Heavenly Realm, a power beyond this world, and any seraph of strong heart and pure resolve can channel them through me. Prime Lords being fire seraphim was only to mask the truth, that no Shepherd would know the power they wielded…but now that seraphim and hellions alike are visible to all, the time for subterfuge is past. Any seraph can be the Prime Lord if they are of worthy spirit."

Silence still reigned; looking around, Eizen saw fear on the faces of every seraph in attendance, no matter their element. Then…

"I'll do it."

With shocked gasps and mutters, everyone turned to the tall wind seraph who had grabbed the Sacred Blade and descended from the altar to turn and face Maotelus head on; looking around, Eizen noticed that, while the humans in the audience seemed curious or even hopeful, the seraphim were making angry mutters to each other, their expressions dark.

"I'll be your Prime Lord," Zaveid declared.

"Seriously?" Edna asked him, walking down to stand by his side. "You really think you're pure enough?"

"I don't see anyone else volunteering, do you?" Zaveid remarked. "My heart may not be ideal, but I know I have pure resolve in spades. Plus, I'm old enough to remember a time when this power wasn't available to the world, _and_ I've worked beside a Shepherd and fought a Lord of Calamity before."

"I don't think those things matter," Edna said.

Zaveid ignored her, turning his attention back upward to meet the glowing eyes of the Dragon of Light. "Please, Maotelus. Please, let me do it…" He shook his head slightly, and his voice dropped to a barely-audible level as he added something that sounded to Eizen like, "Let me do something useful for once in my miserable life." His expression was sorrowful, almost pained; Eizen had never seen his uncle look like that before. Whatever was going on, this mattered to Zaveid, for reasons Eizen doubted he would ever understand.

Maotelus lowered his head to return Zaveid's gaze. For a long minute, all was still.

"You are receptive," Maotelus finally declared.

The shock on his uncle's face was as clear as day to Eizen; he had a feeling no one was more surprised by this than Zaveid himself.

"If you truly accept this burden, speak aloud your true name," Maotelus commanded.

"Fylk Zahdeya," Zaveid answered resolutely.

"Fylk Zahdeya," Maotelus repeated, and he reared back, opening his jaws in a silent roar and tearing open a rift in the earthpulse. "Come. Within me, you shall be made into the new Prime Lord."

A smile cracked across Zaveid's face, and he again looked like the uncle Eizen knew and loved. "Well, I don't normally swing that way-" he began.

Edna swiftly jabbed Zaveid in the side with her umbrella, and Eizen couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden burst of normalcy in the midst of this crisis.

"-ow! But as you command, o Great Lord Maotelus," Zaveid finished, his smirk not faltering, and he entered the rift as Maotelus dove in beside him.

Then they were gone, leaving the world to wonder what to do with themselves.

~o~

Time passed, as everyone waited for Maotelus and Zaveid to return and begin the process of choosing a new Shepherd. The royal family of Hyland declared a national emergency, sending emissaries to the Rolance Empire and shutting down all schools and recreational activities - everyone was banned from relaxing at the lakeside, or hunting in the nearby woods or hills without several guards present. Everyone knew the extra guard measures were an empty gesture, that no one had the power to fight off the Lord of Calamity as things were, but no one argued. In the meantime, Eizen and his mother stayed at the Ladylake priests' refuge, despite the occasional protest from the locals, which Edna quickly put a stop to; they had nowhere else to go, and the priests agreed that since they'd lost their home to the Lord of Calamity, they could take shelter in the small building.

Velvet was an emotional wreck, and didn't get better with time. She rarely got out of her borrowed bed, always muttering despairing nonsense when she was awake and tossing and turning with restless nightmares when she slept. Edna and Eizen tried to help her, but even getting her to eat once a day was a struggle. It was incredible that she wasn't generating malevolence herself; Edna suggested that she might actually be too out of it for her feelings to manifest. Broken beyond even malevolence…it was a horrible idea to even consider, and Eizen resolutely tended to his mother as best he could.

After a day or two, David started visiting Eizen in the priests' bunker, offering his condolences and asking if there was anything he could do; Eizen wasn't in the mood to hang out, but David didn't let Eizen shut himself away, determinedly barging in every day and insisting on staying with his friend for at least an hour, even if they didn't talk. At one point, Eizen mentioned that he had the fifth ingredient for the Omega Elixir but needed the other four retrieved from the ruins of his treehouse; a week later, David surprised him with a stone box that was no worse for the wear despite the fire, bragging about how he'd convinced several guards to abandon their post and accompany him to the east just to retrieve it from the ashes. He didn't tell Eizen what was left of the treehouse, and Eizen didn't ask. Couldn't ask.

There was news, of course. Reports came in from across the continent, of Niko approaching every town and village and giving each one a speech similar to the one she'd given Ladylake. Hellion attacks became more frequent every day, as Niko seemed to be spreading her corruption to anything that couldn't choose to listen to her - there were sightings of the two dragons, and the Lord of Calamity who rode one of them, spewing black fire across the land, black fire that left only hellions in its wake. This led to food shortages, isolation, and most of all, fear. Everywhere, people despaired of having their lives back…and Eizen heard it all. Though it had occurred to him during the funeral, it slowly became clear that there was only one path forward he could take.

One night, Eizen was sitting in the Sanctuary with the stone box that now contained all five ingredients for the Omega Elixir, ingredients that would never be used unless Cellie was returned to normal. The building was almost empty now, and he took solace in the quiet. Still, he didn't complain when his big sister sat down beside him.

"You should go to bed, baby brother," Edna remarked.

"I will soon," he responded; in truth, he didn't particularly enjoy trying to sleep in the same room as his grieving mother. "I'm just…thinking."

"About what?"

Eizen sighed heavily. "About what will happen when Zaveid comes back."

Edna made a noncommittal noise to indicate she'd heard him.

"Listen, big sis…There's already so much chaos," Eizen went on. "So much loss…so much suffering. And Sorey always talked about the Shepherd's burden, to stand alone between the light and the dark, to protect people who would never truly accept him, all for the greater good. But hasn't everyone suffered enough already?"

"There needs to be a Shepherd if it's ever going to end," Edna pointed out.

"I know," Eizen said, "and that's why…when Zaveid comes back, I'm going to ask to be the new Shepherd."

There was no response to this.

"It wouldn't be fair for anyone else to take on that burden," Eizen insisted. "No one else should have to suffer for my sister's madness. But me…I'm hellion-spawn, everyone already shuns me. It won't be any big sacrifice on my part. And Niko's my sister, I know her weaknesses. It should be me. It _has_ to be me."

"It's not up to you," Edna shrugged. "You can't just decide to be the Shepherd. You have to pass the test."

"I just have to be accepted by the Prime Lord, right?" Eizen asked. "I…I need strong resonance - which I have to have, since I grew up with you - and to be untouched by malevolence, and then the Prime Lord has to agree. Right?"

"I don't know," Edna replied. "As far as I'm aware, there are a lot of powerful seraphic artes involved with the choosing of the Shepherd. Even if a Prime Lord wants someone to draw the Sacred Blade, it might not budge unless certain criteria are met…criteria no one knows for sure."

Eizen frowned; this was news to him. "Well…I'll meet them," he said firmly. "Whatever they are, I'll meet them. I have to."

"You can try," Edna said tonelessly. "It's not like I'm going to try to stop you. So why are you telling me this?"

"I'm telling you because…once I'm the Shepherd, I want you to be my earth Sub Lord," Eizen said, tearing his gaze away from the box he held to meet her blue eyes. "Will you do that for me, big sis? There's no one in the world I trust more than you, and I know you're more than powerful enough."

"To be honest, the way most seraphim are behaving, I'll probably have to be the Sub Lord of earth anyway, no matter who the next Shepherd might be," Edna shrugged. "All the Elysians are cowering behind their domain, waiting to be turned into dragons, afraid to even try. You saw them at the funeral; Niko has them all shaking in their boots."

"And what about you?" Eizen asked, his lips quirking up into a smile. "Are you afraid? I didn't see you volunteering."

"Get real," Edna retorted. "Being a Prime Lord is way more responsibility than it's worth, but I've faced scarier baddies than Niko. I…" Her expressionless voice faltered, colored by a hint of emotion. "I've fought my own brother, after he became a dragon. Niko's nothing compared to that."

"So you'll be my Sub Lord, then?" Eizen asked, a knot loosening in his gut.

"I'll be the Sub Lord for whoever rises," Edna answered. "But I guess I would rather it be you, baby brother. Other humans can be so tiresome."

"Good," Eizen sighed, relieved. "Between you, me, and uncle Zaveid, we'll be able to stop this."

"We'll see." Edna tilted her head. "Have you told Velvet you plan to do this?"

"No," Eizen muttered, turning his attention back to the box. "I…I'm afraid to tell her."

"You should tell her soon," Edna told him. "Remember what happened the last time a Shepherd tried to do something behind her back for the greater good because they were afraid of how she'd take it."

"Yeah," Eizen admitted, "you're right. I'll…I'll go tell her now."

"You do that," Edna said as he stood up. "Good luck."

~o~

In the room he and his mother had commandeered, Eizen found Velvet still in her bed, mumbling nonsense to herself.

"Mom," he said gently, holding out a platter of snacks he'd picked up. "It's me. You should eat."

Velvet shifted, but didn't turn over to look at him.

With a sigh, Eizen sat down beside her, holding the plate in his lap. "Mom," he said, "there's something you need to know."

More muttering.

"I…" Eizen took a breath. "I've decided that…when uncle Zaveid comes back with Maotelus, and the Sacred Blade is placed in the altar, I'm going to try to draw it. I'm going to try to become the Shepherd."

This, at last, got a reaction; Velvet sat up, her glistening golden eyes igniting with a spark. "No," she rasped, her voice hoarse. "No, Eizen. You can't."

"I have to, mom," Eizen insisted, setting the plate aside as she swung her legs over the side of the bed to scoot closer to him and take his hand. "Enough people have suffered already. I don't want anyone else to have to pay for my sister's madness. And…and becoming the Shepherd is the only way I can make sure dad and Cellie aren't hurt."

"You can't go out and fight," Velvet choked. "It's too dangerous. I…I can't lose you too, Eizen. You're all I have left."

"You won't lose me, mom," Eizen promised, gripping her hand back. "Dad trained me in the Rangetsu style from birth, and Edna and uncle Zaveid are going to be right there with me. Niko won't be able to stop us."

"It doesn't have to be you," Velvet whimpered. "Haven't we lost enough? Eizen, sweetie…my baby…" She let go of his hand to cradle his face between her palms. "My girls are gone. Your father is gone. The house is gone. We still have each other…and that's all we have. If you go out there and…and I lose you too…"

"You won't lose me," Eizen repeated firmly, putting his arms around her and hugging her as she collapsed against his chest. "I swear by my sword, you won't lose me. And I'll bring dad and Cellie back, and Niko too, if I can knock some sense into her. We haven't lost everything yet, and I won't stand by and let any of it be lost. I have to do this, mom, don't you see? Any other Shepherd would kill my father and sisters. I'm the only one who can bring our family back together. It has to be me."

"Or you'll fall, just like Sorey," Velvet sobbed.

"I won't," Eizen stated. "I _won't_, mom."

Velvet pulled back to meet his eyes, and though her golden irises were pained, he could see that she understood. "Just promise me this much," she whispered; "promise me you won't be the first to try. Let someone else try to draw the blade first. Please, Eizen? For me?"

"I…" Eizen's voice caught, but he knew he couldn't argue with her. "I promise," he managed. "But I will be the second. As soon as someone fails, I'm pulling that sword out, no matter what it takes."

Through her tears, his mother laughed. "You sound just like your father," she chuckled.

"No." Eizen smiled and pulled her close again. "I sound like you."

~o~

A whole month passed, with no word from Maotelus or Zaveid. People became impatient, and eventually the Sanctuary was swamped with people day and night, people desperate for some sign that the divine Great Lord would return soon. All this meant for Eizen was that there was less peace and quiet in the Sanctuary, and he stayed in his room with his mother and sometimes Edna, waiting as impatiently as everyone else. Then, at long last, the earth shook, and light began to rise from underfoot; Eizen leapt up from where he'd been sitting and ran into the Sanctuary as Maotelus emerged, opened a rift in the earthpulse, and his uncle stepped forward with the Sacred Blade.

"People of Glenwood," Maotelus declared, "I give you your new Prime Lord, the wind seraph Zaveid!"

All the humans who had been staking out the Sanctuary cheered loudly as Zaveid lifted the Sacred Blade over his head; meanwhile, Eizen noted that the seraphim in attendance mostly gave polite applause while wearing very fake-looking smiles.

"Now, before we get started finding a new Shepherd," Zaveid shouted over the noise, "something else has to happen first. Uno, get down here, if you'd be so kind."

As the crowd quieted, the local Lord of the Land descended from his spot beside his vessel of pure water to join Zaveid, his expression confused.

"I know we've taken a long time," Maotelus said, "and that's because the Lord of Calamity has been ruthless in her assault. Though I've done my best to mitigate the damage she causes, she's been spreading malevolence the likes of which I've never seen. We agree that there needs to be a safe haven, sealed off from her power."

"Uno," Zaveid spoke up, "with our blood combined, we can cast a domain around the lake. It won't prevent anyone inside from turning, but it should keep Niko and her minions out."

"All three of us," Maotelus added. "If we combine our power, so long as you stay here and I stay tied to this place, we can make Ladylake safe. It will take a long time to cast, enough time for the people to organize in preparation for choosing a new Shepherd and then some, and it will cost a lot of strength. Will you help us?"

"Of course!" Uno exclaimed. "But…but that means-"

"You can't be my Sub Lord," Zaveid confirmed; "you'll have to stay here while the Shepherd and I go out and fight the hellions. But given how aggressive Niko has been, it's important that we have a sanctuary to return to where we can rest safely."

"I…I understand," Uno said, nodding. "Yes, let us go and cast this arte. I will do whatever I must."

"Everyone, you have two days to figure out who's going to try to draw the Sacred Blade," Zaveid told the crowd. "I'm taking it with me now, and when I come back and plant it here in the altar, you'd better be ready to anoint a new Shepherd!"

If this declaration was supposed to unite the people, it backfired; everyone was suddenly in chaos, some trying to approach and make demands or ask questions, others trying to run outside to tell those who hadn't been in attendance what was going on. Taking a breath, Eizen slipped back into his room to tell his mother and wait.

More time passed, and being in a small stone hut behind the Sanctuary couldn't mask all the hubbub outside. There would be speeches, official statements from the royal family, messengers sent out to inform the Rolance Empire and invite the people staying Marlind who had been waiting for this very event…Eizen only hoped they wouldn't delay the ceremony. Both nights following Zaveid's return, Eizen's sleep was restless, as he couldn't stop thinking about standing up at the altar and drawing the Sacred Blade, about the mission he would soon embark on to save his family and the world.

Finally, at the very break of dawn on the day the ceremony was to be held, Eizen emerged and went to stand at the front of the Sanctuary, waiting for whatever was coming. Edna joined him after a moment and filled him in: the domain had been cast, Maotelus was now bound to the Ladylake Sanctuary to maintain it, Uno was resting within his vessel, and the ceremony to draw the Sacred Blade would start at noon. Eizen waited impatiently as the Sanctuary filled with people and the minutes crept past.

At last, Zaveid emerged from the crowd and strolled up the steps to the altar, carrying the Sacred Blade. He held it up, white flames danced along its length as he grasped it in both hands, and then he plunged it into the tan stone monument, embedding it halfway.

"Alright!" he grinned to the crowd as he stepped back. "Who wants to try and become the Shepherd?"

Eizen waited, prepared to spring forward, but to his surprise, there was no surge of aspirants; instead, the crowd muttered uncertainly amongst themselves. After a moment, one singular person emerged from the fearful group: a slim young woman with golden curls of hair tied back from her face in a knot, a two-headed battle ax at her hip.

_Sadie._ Eizen nearly choked at the sight of her. She hadn't come to his sister's party, and he knew her family were among those who most adamantly hated his family for having been hellions once. _No…If she draws the blade, my whole family will die…_

But he'd made a promise, and he forced himself to stand back as Sadie ascended the steps, grasped the hilt of the Sacred Blade, and tugged on it.

It didn't budge.

Glowering, Sadie strained herself, pulling at the sword with all her strength, but it refused to come unstuck. Furiously, she turned on Zaveid.

"Let me have it!" she shouted at him. "I've trained my whole life for this!"

"It's not up to me," Zaveid shrugged. "If the Sacred Blade rejects you, then it rejects you. Sorry, sweetheart."

"It can't reject me!" she snarled, turning back and grabbing the hilt again, wrestling with the unmoving metal. "I'm pure, and strong! I can be the Shepherd! I _have_ to be the Shepherd!"

Evidently, however, the Sacred Blade disagreed, and after huffing and puffing for several minutes, Sadie collapsed, slinking away in defeat. Relieved, Eizen stepped forward, ignoring the people who muttered at his movement as he ascended the steps to the altar. Instead of grabbing for the sword, though, he faced his uncle.

"Zaveid," he said, "please, I ask to become the Shepherd."

"And why do you want to be the Shepherd?" Zaveid asked him.

"For the sake of those who would suffer if I don't," Eizen replied. "My sister did this…In one night, she took away my home, my father, and both of my siblings. Then she killed Sorey, and turned Lailah and Mikleo into dragons - all friends of my parents. This is my family's business, and no one else should have to suffer for Niko's madness. For this, I ask permission to take the trial."

"Like I told that babe, it ain't up to me," Zaveid told him. "But you're free to try if you want."

"No!"

The cry came, not from an angry human who didn't want hellion-spawn as their Shepherd, but from a frantic woman who ran down the steps leading to the back of the Sanctuary and barreled towards her son, her gray-streaked black braid swinging wildly behind her.

"No!" Velvet shouted again, shoving Eizen away from the altar and turning to face Zaveid. "No, you can't take my son! He's all I have left!"

"Mom, you're making a scene," Eizen muttered as she dropped to her hands and knees, bowing at Zaveid's feet.

"Take me instead," she sobbed. "Please, let it be me. I'll do it. I'll take on all the burdens, I'll fight my daughter, I'll stop all this. Please, just don't take my son. Take me instead."

Zaveid sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Velvet, but I can't do that," he told her.

Velvet's head jerked up.

"Only those souls who have never been touched by malevolence can draw the Sacred Blade," Zaveid went on. "You're pure now, but malevolence left its mark on you. Think of it as a scar on your soul - healed, but never quite the same. You wouldn't be able to wield the flames of purification." He shrugged. "Sorry, babe, I don't make the rules."

"Mom," Eizen said gently as Velvet collapsed, curling in on herself and sobbing. "Mom, please, stop this."

But she wasn't listening. As he knelt down beside her, he heard her muttering.

"My mother's third child had the Twelve Year Sickness…and so did mine," she sobbed. "My mother's second child became the Lord of Calamity…and so has mine. My mother's first child was betrayed by her people and died a pointless death…and so will mine. So will mine, so will mine, _so will mine_…"

"Mom, I'm not going to die a pointless death!" Eizen exclaimed. "Even if I did die fighting Niko, it would be for a good cause! Besides, Rangetsus don't die needlessly."

A mirthless laugh stuttered between his mother's sobs. "Needless death…" she whispered. "Rangetsu…always needless…I begged him not to…not my child…but here we are…always again…"

Shaking his head, Eizen stood. "I have to do this," he told his mother, and he grabbed the hilt of the Sacred Blade and pulled.

It stuck fast.

Panic rose in Eizen's chest, more and more so as he pulled harder, yet the blade didn't come free. He soon grew frantic, not even seeing what was in front of him or thinking, just pulling, desperately, mindlessly…

Suddenly, a memory arose through the turmoil in his head, a memory of his father during a training bout when he was young, when he'd gotten frustrated and started flailing his practice sword around wildly:

_"__It's okay to feel emotions, Eizen," his father had said. "Emotions are part of being alive; without them, we wouldn't have the will to go on living. But when you let your emotions control you, you're bound to make mistakes. If ever you feel too strongly to think, don't fight it; take a step back and let yourself feel the emotion, let it burn itself out. When it's had its time, then, and only then, do you act."_

Gathering all his strength, Eizen released the hilt of the Sacred Blade, closed his eyes, straightened his spine, cupped his hands in front of his naval, and turned his focus inwards. He let himself feel all the things he was feeling, even the things he hadn't realized he felt: Desperation, anger, fear, worry, sorrow, frustration, panic, grief. Each emotion flared up, then burned itself out, one by one. When the last flare quieted, Eizen opened his eyes.

All was still and silent in the Sanctuary; the world seemed to be holding its breath.

Deliberately, one finger at a time, Eizen curled his hands around the hilt of the Sacred Blade. His focus was absolute, intense, all his mental energy on the one task at hand: to become the Shepherd, and save the world from his sister. So intense was his focus that he almost didn't feel it when a second pair of hands clasped themselves over his own.

Eizen blinked. Though he couldn't see anything but his own two hands, he could feel that someone else's hands were on his, strengthening his grip around the ancient sword hilt. Then there was another pair of hands, and then another, and another…Closing his eyes, Eizen _felt_, rather than saw, presence after presence manifest beside him, lending him their strength.

_Purest compassion. Wisest lightning. Darkest protectiveness. Fathomless regret. Devout empathy. Capricious wickedness. Determined freedom. Deepest sorrow. Gentlest kindness. Cheerful innocence. Frailest hope. Carefree strength. Vivacious love._

When Eizen pulled again on the Sacred Blade, thirteen other pairs of hands pulled along with his, and this time, the sword moved. Though it was slow, he felt it slide against the gold-colored stone; light burned through his closed eyelids, light he could only assume was streaming from the crack where the sword was emerging from the altar. Deafened by a ringing in his ears, Eizen pulled the Sacred Blade free, lifted it above his head, and opened his eyes.

All at once, the souls that had stood beside him dissipated, leaving him holding the Sacred Blade aloft with his own hand. Then, as suddenly as they were gone, power flooded through his veins, white-hot and overwhelming. Light surrounded him, passed over him, and a new presence came to rest within the right side of his chest, this one familiar: his uncle, Zaveid. When the wind seraph emerged from his new vessel again, Eizen could still feel the bond, the tie to his uncle, his Prime Lord.

"People of Glenwood!" Zaveid shouted, taking Eizen's free hand and lifting it over their heads. "I give you your Shepherd, Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe!"

Not a single person cheered. Instead, there was silence, followed by an angry muttering that slowly grew, like the buzzing of bees in a hive.

Eizen sighed and pulled his hand free of Zaveid's grip. "I'll handle this, uncle," he told the wind seraph under his breath.

The muttering grew louder as he lowered the Sacred Blade and stepped up onto the altar, looking out on the crowd. Not all the glances were hateful or distrustful, but most were; Sadie's was among the most contemptuous of glares. Taking a breath, Eizen organized his thoughts, drawing on days spent listening to his uncle's grandiose manner of speech as he told stories, then spoke.

"People of Glenwood, I stand before you as your Shepherd," he declared. "I do not ask for your praise or respect; I ask only that you hear me now, for I have something to say."

He waited. Silence didn't come, but the murmurs died down slightly, and this was the most Eizen could have reasonably hoped for.

"It is true that I am the brother of the one who calls herself the Lord of Calamity…the one who slew the previous Shepherd, the Shepherd of legend, Sorey," Eizen began. "It is also true that my parents endured as hellions for many, many centuries before they were purified…and that my mother, whom you see before you now, was once the Lord of Calamity herself. But I am not my sister, and my mother…and _all_ of my family…have suffered greatly, for the malevolence my corrupted sister claims is the panacea for all of life's ills. _This_," he waved a hand at his still-sobbing mother, "is what malevolence does. It destroys lives, destroys homes, destroys families. While it is true that all your worldly cares would be gone if you embraced it, that is because everything that matters to you now would lose all meaning. The people you love, the dreams you hold dear, all of it would mean nothing to you if you embraced the darkness my sister preaches.

"And now, I am your Shepherd. Sorey taught me, as he taught many of you, that the Shepherd's duty is to stand apart from all other humans, alone, between the light and the dark, forever a shield and sword to the people, people who would never thank him for his service, who would never accept him as one of their own. This burden, I gladly accept, for many of you have refused to treat me as an equal anyway. I do not care what you think of me or my family, it does not matter now. Now, I swear to you, by my blades and by my blood, that I will defend this world from malevolence to my very last breath, that all those who walk this earth shall be shielded from the darkness so long as I have a drop of blood flowing in my veins. Whether you be human or seraph, Hyland or Rolance, young or old, of Glenwood or the far continent, it does not matter; I will defend you with my life. And should anyone succumb to malevolence, I will not rest until I have hunted that person down and either quelled them or ended them, for that is the Shepherd's duty. I swear to you all, I will protect you…whether you want me to or not." He bowed his head. "That is all."

Turning his back, Eizen hopped down from the altar and approached his uncle, only to be stopped short by a call from somewhere in the crowd:

"Shepherd Eizen!"

Surprised, Eizen turned, and saw a man he didn't know cheering his name.

"Shepherd Eizen! Shepherd Eizen! Shepherd Eizen!"

This was unlikely enough, but it became downright shocking when other people in the crowd started taking up the chant, a few at a time.

"_Shepherd Eizen_! _Shepherd Eizen_! _Shepherd Eizen_!"

Many did not, Eizen noted, there were plenty of people who looked around silently with expressions that ranged from confused and uncertain to outright hateful; but more, many more, joined in the cry, their eyes wide as they gazed at him as though he was the very embodiment of hope itself, filling the air with their renewed faith.

"_SHEPHERD EIZEN_! _SHEPHERD EIZEN_! _SHEPHERD EIZEN_!"

Eizen turned around to address the people cheering for him, and several things happened in quick succession: heat rushed to his head, his mother screamed his name over the cheers of the crowd, muscular arms caught him before he knew he was falling, and everything went black.

* * *

**A thousand internet points and/or a shoutout to anyone who can name the thirteen souls who helped Eizen become the Shepherd! They're all people who are dead at this point in time (DEAD, not just corrupted); they're all names we know, if not all people we know particularly well; and though they all have a reason to want Eizen to rise to the challenge, neither Rose nor Alisha is among them. Those are the only hints I'll give. I have expectations for who will be the one to be the one to crack it, so come on and prove me wrong!**

* * *

**The trophy that would be earned for this chapter if this was a game: [image of two hands and multiple ghostly hands clasped around the hilt of the Sacred Blade embedded in the altar] ****"The Chosen Hero" - Proof of drawing the Sacred Blade with some otherworldly help. Not since your parents' time has the fate of the world come down to a family dispute.**


	5. The Only Shining

Eizen woke to the sensation of something cool pressed against his forehead. Groaning, he struggled to rouse himself; he felt weak, but as he came to, he remembered the discipline his father had taught him and forced strength to come.

"Eizen!" cried a voice he recognized as belonging to his mother.

"Mom…" he rasped, cracking his eyes open as he tried to push himself up.

"Oh, sweetie, don't get up!" his mother exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him onto his back again. "You've been unconscious for two days!"

"Two days…?" he repeated, blinking away the last of his drowsiness in alarm. "What happened?"

From behind his mother, a tall, muscular figure stepped forward, the seraph who wasn't only family anymore.

"Like I've been trying to tell your mother," Zaveid said, "this is perfectly normal for a new Shepherd. You needed some time to adjust to the power of purification. Let him up, Velvet, he's fine now."

"He _can't_ be fine," Velvet insisted. "He's been unconscious with a fever for two whole days! That's not normal!"

"No, it's not," came Edna's toneless voice from somewhere across the room Eizen now recognized as where he and his mother had been staying. "Most Shepherds are unconscious for a lot longer, up to a week. Even Sorey was out for three days."

"She's right," Zaveid confirmed. "Your boy's something special."

"Mom," Eizen said, forcing himself to sit up, the damp towel falling from his forehead, "I'm okay. Just…" He blinked as his stomach growled. "Just really hungry."

"And you should be!" his mother exclaimed. "Here, Zaveid keeps trying to make me eat, you can have the pork and potatoes he got at the inn…"

She reached to her side for a dish of food, and Eizen smiled. "I'm not Cellie, mom," he told her. "You don't have to fuss over me. I'm the Shepherd now."

"Yes…" Velvet's golden eyes clouded with sadness as he took the plate and started eating ravenously; it was nothing compared to what his mother could make, but it was sustenance. "My son, the Shepherd…"

"Speaking of which." Edna stepped forward, and Eizen noticed that she was holding a black-and-red bundle in her arms. "While your mother was hovering over you like you were a sick dog, I went and had these made for you, baby brother."

"Huh?" Eizen felt his eyes go wide as she set her gift down in front of him: a shiny black cloak, trimmed with feathers and sporting embroidered red designs, along with a sturdy gauntlet for his right hand and a fingerless glove for his left, both also black with red embellishments.

"Just like you asked," she said distastefully, stepping back.

"Thanks, big sis," Eizen breathed, pulling the glove on. It fit perfectly, and as he flexed his fingers, he couldn't help staring at the symbol embroidered in vibrant crimson on the back: the mark of the Shepherd. "I…guess it's official now."

"If you want to think of it that way, I won't argue with you," Edna stated.

"Edna," Velvet rasped; when Eizen glanced at her, he saw that her golden eyes had gone wide and haunted. "Why…why would you have him wear those colors?"

"He said he wanted his Shepherd clothing to be black and red," Edna shrugged. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted."

"But _why_?" Velvet exclaimed, whirling on Eizen.

"Because these are the colors of my family," he replied simply.

Velvet blinked.

"They were your colors, when you were the Lord of Calamity," he said gently. "They were dad's hellion colors…and…now they're his colors as a hellion again. They're even Niko's colors." While his mom was too shocked to protest, he set his plate aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I may be the Shepherd, mom," he told her, "but I'm not ashamed of who I am, of what family I come from. I am a Rangetsu-Crowe, and these are our family's colors. And maybe I can carve out a new meaning for them…even if Niko's bearing them too. No matter what, I'm not going to deny who I am or where I come from."

"Eizen…" Velvet whimpered.

Eizen stood, pushing past his mother, who made movements of protest but didn't fight. As he reached for the gauntlet and cloak, Zaveid spoke up.

"You telling me you two planned this?" he asked Edna.

"Yeah, he was determined to become the Shepherd from pretty much day one," Edna said tonelessly.

"Edna agreed to be my Sub Lord, too," Eizen added to the wind seraph. "Will you make the pact now?"

"What? No!" Zaveid exclaimed, surprising him. "Eizen, you just woke up! The first Sub Lord is hard on a Shepherd too, you'd just pass out again. Besides, you still have to get used to using my power, you haven't fully adjusted yet."

"Although practice shouldn't be hard to come by," Edna inserted. "A report came in this morning that Niko and her dragons are in the area."

"Niko…" Eizen gritted his teeth as he pulled the thick, silky cloak over his head and buckled his katana around his waist. _Two days lost, two days I could have spent working on knocking some sense into her…_It didn't matter that he had apparently recovered unusually fast, the lost time was something he couldn't afford.

Fully adorned in the Shepherd's regalia, Eizen took one single breath, then turned back to his mother. She was watching him with golden eyes that brimmed with sorrow and fear, thousands of things she couldn't say crossing her face silently.

"Mom…I have to go," he told her.

"I know," she said softly. "I know…Eizen…"

Before she could burst into tears yet again, Eizen walked up to her and embraced her tightly. Velvet hugged him back, as though she would never let him go, never let him venture out into a world that was falling apart.

"Eizen," she whispered. "Please, please be careful…"

"I will," he assured her. "I promise, mom, I'll be okay." He held her for a moment longer, then let go and pushed his way out of her arms; though she tried not to let him, her grip wasn't difficult to break. "I'll be back," he told her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks; she didn't respond. When it became clear that she was beyond speech, Eizen sighed, then forced himself to turn away from her and head for the door. Outside, his seraphim family behind him, Eizen finally started to let it sink in: _I am the Shepherd. This world is my responsibility n-_

A sudden, deafening roar from across the city interrupted his barely-begun thought, followed by a loud crash. Eizen stumbled back, his first instinct to take shelter while his father fought the monster off, and he bumped into Zaveid.

"Well, well," the wind seraph grinned, tipping his hat. "Sounds like they came to us."

Eizen shook himself. "Right," he nodded, "let's go."

Zaveid sheltered in his chest as he took off through the streets, which became more and more crowded with panicked people running from the town gates the further he got. A few saw him and stopped, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't acknowledge them. _Focus, focus._ His steps grew faster, and after a moment, he realized his uncle's power was at his heels, granting him inhuman speed.

Near the gates, Niko's voice became audible, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Is this your answer?!" she yelled. "Is _this_ your answer?! Come out and face me, cowards! Answer me!"

At the doors to Ladylake, Eizen set his jaw, bracing himself for what he knew he would face: his family, Lailah, and Mikleo, all demented beyond recognition, all his duty to quell. _I must do this. This is my duty. Focus now, think later._

Emerging onto the bridge, Eizen was surprised to see a few guards along the path that led to the shore, though they appeared frozen with fear.

"Answer me!" Niko shouted from the hillside across the lake. "Is this your answer?!"

_Looks like the barrier works,_ Zaveid remarked in Eizen's head as they approached. _She can't get through._

_Good,_ Eizen replied. _That makes this easier; I won't have to worry about her distracting me while she sneaks in._

"Speak!" cried Niko. "Is this truly your answer?! Is this-?!"

"Niko!" Eizen called, coming to a stop just inside the border of the lake, his eyes focused on his corrupted sister. She was standing atop the white-horned dragon that had been Lailah, which hovered in the air, just like before, a flash of green indicating that Cellie sat behind her; to her left hovered Mikleo, Rokurou on the beast's back.

At once, Niko's yelling stopped, and she turned her blazing crimson eyes on him as he lifted his left hand and clenched it into a fist, showing off the mark embroidered on the back of his glove in the same color as her claws.

"_This_ is our answer!" he told her.

She stared for a moment, apparently shocked. Then, she threw her head back and laughed, that horrible, unhinged laugh that Eizen knew would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his days. "What a turn of events this is!" she crowed through her maniacal hysterics. "How, pray tell, did you come by a new Prime Lord so soon?"

"I volunteered," Zaveid answered, emerging from his vessel to face Niko as well. "I'm the Prime Lord now."

"Oh, uncle, so good to see you!" Niko laughed. "So, it's you and my dear brother…I must say, I wasn't expecting this." Her black lips twisted into a wide grin, showing off her mouthful of fangs; Eizen spared a brief moment to marvel at how she could talk so clearly through them. "But you always were the hardest to convince, Eizen. Perhaps, if I can make you see what a fool you are, everyone else will follow your lead. How fortunate for me!"

"Niko, stop this now," Eizen said sternly. "Don't make me beat some sense into you."

"Oh, but it is _you_, brother dear, who needs to see sense," Niko chuckled, and she leapt down from her perch, her wings slowing but not stopping her fall as she landed just shy of the bridge. "Come, then. Surely, this barrier isn't for you?"

"I will face you," Eizen said, drawing his katana and stepping forward. "I am the Shepherd, and that is my duty."

"Oh, no, not just yet," Niko said. "No…I think you should have a little test first. And who better to set it forth than me?"

Still grinning, the Lord of Calamity spread her talons, black flames igniting on her palms before she bent over and speared her crimson claws through the ground. As she straightened back up, lumps of rock came with her, and she pulled them over her head, the dark fire coursing through them. Releasing her creations, she stepped back, hooked her talons on the white-horned dragon's front claws, and vaulted back onto her mount as the earth she'd pulled out finished forming into massive rock golems.

"Can you fight these, brother?" Niko jeered. "Can your sword cut through stone?"

"Don't worry," Zaveid told Eizen quietly, "it doesn't have to. The flames of purification will keep your weapon intact, you just have to wail on them until they submit and turn back into dirt."

"And you?" Eizen asked.

"Don't worry about me," Zaveid grinned, "I'll be fighting right beside you. Let's do this!"

Despite everything, Eizen returned Zaveid's grin, and they charged into battle together. Shouting a battle cry, more to drown out the sound of Niko's laughter than out of bravado, Eizen slashed his sword at one of the rock golems, and was surprised that it didn't just bounce off; his katana couldn't cut stone, but it wasn't the stone it was cutting, it was the malevolence inside the stone.

_So this is the Shepherd's power._ His grin widened as he unleashed a flurry of attacks, utilizing every bit of his father's training to slash faster than the eye could see, with no concern for the safety of his weapon. Beside him, Zaveid whipped his pendulums around, smacking both stone golems in turn with remarkable power. Eizen had never seen a seraph in battle before, but he spared one glance and then refocused on his target. _Focus now, think later._

After just a few more slashes, the stone golem Eizen had focused on collapsed into a heap of earth, the malevolence cleansed, and he turned to help his uncle with the other one. As he stepped forward, however, a blast of fire split the air in front of him. He turned, and saw the white-horned dragon breathing a steady torrent of flame; on its back, Niko was no longer smiling.

"So," the Lord of Calamity hissed as the battle lulled in response to her mount's outburst, "you weren't bluffing. Where is your Prime Lord?"

"I told ya, kiddo," Zaveid said, tipping his hat to the dragon rider: "_I'm_ the Prime Lord now."

"You're not a fire seraph!" she spat.

"I don't need to be," Zaveid shrugged. "Any seraph can be a Prime Lord if they're receptive to the flames of purification."

"Maotelus was a special seraph, of all the elements, before he rose to power," Eizen added; "he can bless a seraph of any element. Or have you forgotten our family story?"

"You can't be the Prime Lord!" Niko roared, ignoring Eizen. "You _can't_, uncle! You can't side with the Shepherd!"

In response to this, Zaveid turned back to the remaining rock golem and whipped it with his pendulums a few more times until it crumbled, purified. "You sure about that?" he asked, turning back to the Lord of Calamity with a smirk. "'Cuz I'm pretty sure quelling hellions is something only a seraph allied with a Shepherd can do."

Niko snarled, growling like the beast she resembled…then laughed again. "So be it," she sneered. "If you are truly the Shepherd and Prime Lord, then I shouldn't go easy on you. Let's see how you handle _this_!"

On cue, Niko's dragon dove towards him, and Eizen dodged, only to realize a second too late that he wasn't the target; Niko slid from her spot and down the dragon's scaly side, hooking the claws of her right hand on her mount's talons and reaching down with her other hand as the white-horned dragon swooped to the side, scoring thin gashes in the earth between Eizen and the bridge into Ladylake. Malevolent flames danced along the Lord of Calamity's razor-sharp fingers, and where her claws touched the ground, golem after golem burst from the dirt, pulling themselves up and approaching menacingly. Dragon Lailah turned, and within moments, Niko had completely circled Eizen and Zaveid with rock golems. Then she kept going, making a second ring and a third.

"Niko!" Eizen shouted, taking a defensive stance. "That's cheating!"

"'Cheat' is a word for losers, dear brother!" she taunted, swinging herself back on top of the legendary monster that seemed to be obeying her every unspoken command. "Come now, surely a Shepherd can handle an army of golems!"

The horde of rock creatures edged closer to them, and Eizen felt his uncle's uncertainty as much as his own.

_You are the Shepherd,_ he reminded himself, tightening his grip on his blade. _More than that, you are a Rangetsu. You have been trained in legendary techniques since birth. If anyone can do this, you can._

With that in mind, he jumped forward and slashed at the nearest two rock golems. Behind him, a seraphic arte blasted through the army, leaving him unharmed. From there, the battle became chaos, all his focus on moving, moving as he'd been taught his whole life, moving without thinking. It wasn't enough; every now and then, a club of solid rock whacked him from behind, and he stumbled before renewing his resolve and resuming his flow of attacks, not quite as solidly as before.

Taking down one monster took too long when there were dozens of them all around him. For every one victory, he was knocked back at least three times. Through the pact, he felt that his uncle wasn't faring much better. Still, what else could they do? They were giving it their all, and…and…

A sudden rush of energy blinded Eizen, overwhelming him with a vision of his uncle, the rock golems nowhere in sight.

"Aw yeah!" Zaveid whooped. "Time to get it on! Uh…ahem…" He lifted his chin and cleared his throat. "I bare to you my true name," he declared formally. "Let it become as your armor and…yeah, blah blah blah, you know the drill." He shook his head and grinned, dropping the formal act. "Armatization, baby!"

The vision faded, and Eizen found himself grinning too, even as he fell back into the rhythm of battle. Jumping away from the nearest monster, he gave himself a split second's space, and that was all he needed to raise his left hand and shout the words he'd been given:

"_Fylk Zahdeya_!"

He had always known, of course, what the seraphim were, but not until armatizing with one did Eizen truly _understand_. Seraphim were living, breathing, physical beings, yes, but their bodies weren't made of rigid, immutable flesh like humans' bodies were; rather, they were creatures of pure energy, raw elemental power manifested into a physical form and given minds and souls. Resonance, too, was a term Eizen hadn't understood before armatizing with a seraph: he could now feel the way his own body vibrated in tune with that of his Prime Lord, synced with the energy that gave his uncle being, and that was what allowed armatization, why forcing armatization with a human who lacked enough resonance was a dangerous and forbidden arte like in his parents' day. Now, the very being of his wind seraph ally merged with his own, power and flesh united into one - Zaveid's skin, Zaveid's muscles, Zaveid's bones, all augmented Eizen's own, enhanced to create something new, something unstoppable. All of the mana that made up Zaveid's existence was now granted a new level of physical form, and the mundane materials that made up Eizen's body now burned with that mana, forming a being almost greater than the sum of its parts.

Eizen's hair, which he always kept just long enough to be able to tie in a small ponytail so it wouldn't fluff out like a lion's mane, grew down to his knees, a sort of excess energy that couldn't find another outlet and so streamed out behind his head, and his cloak and clothes were coated in a glowing light. When he opened his eyes, his hands were empty, but two fans of blades were spread behind his back like wings.

_Uncle…? _Eizen asked the presence he now shared his body with, unsure how to fight without a sword.

_You know what to do, kiddo,_ Zaveid told him. _You know, because I know. We're fighting this battle together._

Acting on instinct, Eizen stepped forward, and felt wind mana flow with his every movement. Zaveid was right, he knew what to do. He didn't need a weapon; his body was a weapon now, every kick and punch charged with seraphic energy, to say nothing of the spray of blades behind him.

They gained speed together, dashing through the hordes of monsters, striking out and casting artes with power no normal human could dream of. Meanwhile, the rock golems, though big and strong, were slow, and couldn't pin down the armatized Shepherd and Prime Lord as they cast wind artes and breezed between them, leaving destruction in the wake of their wings.

When at last a lucky hit was unavoidable, Eizen and Zaveid split back into two, the rock club swinging through thin air where they had been. Without missing a beat, they both dashed into battle in opposite directions, Zaveid swinging his pendulum whips in a few quick successive strikes before a domain froze time, only the wind seraph moving as he unleashed a flurry of blows on his foe.

"Can you keep up?" he all but intoned. "Here's a beatdown! _Outlaw Barrage_!"

_A Mystic Arte,_ Eizen thought as time resumed and Zaveid's target crumbled. _Only possible for practiced warriors during a long battle…I wonder…_ Taking a breath, he reached within, and was surprised to find tremendous power waiting to be unleashed.

"Fast as a bird!" he shouted.

Time froze, and he slashed the nearest rock golem in a forked pattern. "Behold, the mastery of my ancestors…" He closed his eyes, surrendering to pure power and instinct, his blade slicing the monster to pieces almost on its own, then took a single breath and performed the ancient strike known only to the finest warriors in history: "_Swallow Return_!"

"Nice one!" Zaveid called as the arte ended.

"You can't do that!" shouted a demented voice from above the battlefield.

Eizen spared exactly one glance in the direction of his father where he sat atop his dragon, then returned his attention to the battle. As hard as he tried to focus, however, he couldn't shed the lesson he'd had beaten into him from birth: when it came to matters of the sword, listen to his father.

"Swallow Return isn't supposed to be used with a katana!" the four-armed hellion roared furiously as Eizen fought on, his ears registering every word the ancient swordsman spoke. "This is a desecration of the Rangetsu style!"

"Oh, do be quiet, won't you, father?" Niko spoke up, though Eizen could barely hear her. "What difference does it make?"

"It makes _all_ the difference!" Rokurou raged. "Swallow Return is a sacred arte developed by our ancestors for use _specifically_ with a nodachi, a greatsword! A katana is a mid-length sword, it's blasphemy to use Swallow Return with it!"

"Are there _any_ Mystic Artes meant for a katana in the Rangetsu style?" Niko demanded. "You're the one who gave him the katana, would you expect him to make up his own style just because his sword isn't meant for your techniques?"

"I gave it to him when he was a _kid_, so he could learn to use a sword as long as his body!" Rokurou snapped. "It's not my fault he got so damn attached to it!"

"You never got him a greatsword."

"That smith doesn't know the difference between a katana and a nodachi, I'd never trust him to…"

This part, Eizen had heard many times before, and he was able to tune his father out at last as he kept fighting the horde of rock monsters. Maybe it was because their Lord of Calamity was distracted, but the rock golems seemed to get even slower as Eizen slashed through one, two, three more, then re-armatized with Zaveid to pelt a cluster of them with their wing-blades. As Niko and her father argued, the battle turned in the Shepherd's favor, and he grinned as he blasted through monster after monster, until suddenly, there were no more.

Panting, Eizen jogged to the top of a heap of earth where a rock golem had stood, just to be sure it was over, then de-armatized, leaving him and his uncle standing victorious over a field of purified rocks.

Zaveid whooped, grinning. "Nice going, Mr. Shepherd!"

"I couldn't have done it without you, uncle," Eizen responded, his eyes focused on his sister, his katana still drawn. "But we're not through yet."

An unexpected sound drew both their attention: cheering. Looking back towards Ladylake, Eizen saw that a fair number of people were clustered together on the bridge just inside the barrier, energetically showing their support for the victorious Shepherd. Sighing, Eizen nodded at them, then turned his back; the sentiments of the people didn't matter. Only his duty mattered.

"Very…impressive," Niko growled, and Eizen spared a moment to wonder who had won the argument with his father before setting it aside. _Focus now, think later._ "But perhaps you still need to learn that your foes won't always be walking dirt!"

"Let me take him on, Niko!" Rokurou said eagerly, rising to stand on his mount's back, each of his four hands drawing his blades, the daggers by his lower arms, the greatswords by the higher pair. "Let me show him what happens when he desecrates the ways of our ancestors!"

"No…I think not," Niko mused. "My dear brother needs to learn a lesson, and you won't teach it to him, at least not now."

"But-!"

"No," Niko stated, and Eizen was surprised to see his father stand down. "No, father, now is not your time."

"Get down here and fight me yourself, Niko!" Eizen shouted, brandishing his katana. "Let's end this, here and now!"

Niko laughed her horrible, hellish laugh; behind him, Eizen felt his uncle wince. "Listen, kiddo," Zaveid began, "I wasn't gonna say anything, but-"

Before the Prime Lord could finish his sentence, an avalanche of malevolence crashed down on them, and suddenly, it was a struggle for Eizen to stay standing, as though he was being pressed into the earth under a giant's heel. Beside him, Zaveid simply vanished; Eizen could feel his Prime Lord's presence through his pact - if only just barely - but the wind seraph was no longer manifested. Grunting with effort, Eizen lifted his head to see Niko gliding down to stand on another of the mounds of dirt left behind by the battle; her sharp teeth glinted in the sun that poked through the malevolence clouding the air.

"What…?" he ground out.

"This is my power, as Lord of Calamity," Niko hissed, brandishing her claws. "It's called a domain. I was holding it back before, just to see what you would do, but make no mistake; you are powerless against me. Within my domain, your seraphim cannot manifest themselves; and you, as Shepherd, wielder of the power of Maotelus, are almost as susceptible."

Gritting his teeth, Eizen took a step forward, pushing through what felt like a world of mud. "I won't let this stop me," he growled, picking his way down the small heap he stood on, making for his sister. "I am the Shepherd, and I will defeat you!"

"You still intend to fight?" Niko laughed.

"He might have offended our ancestors by using Swallow Return with a katana," Rokurou called from the back of the dragon Mikleo, "but he's still a Rangetsu! You're doing me proud, son," he added to Eizen.

"Proud, or foolish?" Niko sneered.

With a roar of effort, Eizen lunged forward, swinging his katana with all the force he could muster. Niko neatly dodged his attack, but he pressed on.

It was a pitiful sham of a fight, Eizen wasn't blind to that; Niko toyed with him, dodging and blocking all of his attacks and laughing all the while. _But I have no choice,_ he thought. _As Shepherd, this is my duty. There has to be a way to break through this…_

At last, Niko swiped at him once, then shouted, "Kneel before me!"

A new domain froze time entirely, and Eizen was helpless as the claws on Niko's right hand speared him through the torso.

"You thought I'd stop there?" she sneered. Black fire lit in her left palm, and she thrust it forward. "_Malevolent Crush_!"

Eizen was thrown across the battlefield by the blast of raw malevolence, tumbling across disrupted rocks and hills of dirt until he came to a stop on his stomach. Every inch of his body screamed in pain, the spots where malevolent claws had punctured his torso burning as though he'd been impaled with red-hot iron rods (though his cloak was unharmed), but he tried to set it aside and force himself up. _The wants of the body are nothing against the resolve of the mind,_ he reminded himself. _Nothing…nothing against the resolve of the mind…_

But as hard as he tried, he couldn't rise; it was a struggle to lift his head and face Niko as she stalked over to him.

"You are powerless," she declared. "Give up now."

"Never!" he snapped, barely managing to shift his knees under his chest, pressing his palms against the earth with all his strength until he was halfway between sitting and lying down.

"What are you even fighting for?" she jeered.

"I'm fighting…to stop you," Eizen ground out, still trying to lift himself. "And I won't…give up."

The Lord of Calamity just laughed.

"Nothing…" Eizen had finally managed to sit up, and now he tried to rise to one knee. "Nothing…will make me…submit…to you. I…am…the Shepherd!"

"Foolish brother," Niko sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

Still gasping for breath, Niko's domain bearing down on him, Eizen glowered at his sister defiantly. "Are you going to kill me?" he challenged. "Just like you did Sorey?"

"Oh, I hope not," Niko replied. "I didn't want to kill Sorey, you know. I don't want to kill anyone - the whole reason I became the Lord of Calamity was so I could create a world where no one ever died. But Sorey's answer was forged from life experiences, from seeing the world firsthand and coming to truly understand exactly what he was fighting to protect. You, on the other hand…" Her grin widened. "You have no such experience. Whatever you think your reasons are for resisting me, they are based only on what you've been told. You may yet learn…and as long as that is so, as long as there's still hope for you, I will not kill you."

As she said this, the malevolent domain eased, then receded. Surprised, Eizen forced himself to his feet; he still felt horribly battered, but at least the air felt like air again.

"Instead," Niko went on, "I will teach you. Once you learn your lessons, then we shall see what becomes of this world."

With that, she raised one clawed hand and caught the paw of the white-horned dragon, which swooped by to allow her master to climb back onto her. At the same time, Zaveid manifested at Eizen's side.

"Zaveid!" Eizen gasped, turning to his Prime Lord. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Zaveid dismissed, waving a hand; "I'm not the one who just got my ass handed to me, I was only incapacitated a little. You need to recover. Take some of my strength!"

"Huh? Oh, okay." Eizen closed his eyes. "Fylk Zahdeya!"

Mana and flesh merged together into one being, and Eizen felt his strength and Zaveid's average together.

_Now use our power to heal us both,_ Zaveid instructed.

Calling on some potential strength, Eizen crossed his arms.

"Can you feel it? Soul Resonance!"

Wind mana swirled around them, filling them with life. Rejuvenated, Eizen severed the armatus, his wounds almost completely healed.

"Feeling better, dear brother?" Niko called from on high.

Eizen looked up. "Were you waiting for us to heal?" he gasped.

"Of course!" she laughed. "You won't learn your lesson if you have the excuse of being at death's door!"

"What…?"

"Now can I fight him?" Rokurou asked from the other dragon's back.

"No," Niko replied, still chuckling. "No…what he needs to understand is exactly what sort of fate he's chosen to force on everyone by taking the mantle of Shepherd: pain, and death. Pain and death are all that await those who won't embrace malevolence, and he would have everyone in the world suffer and die for his silly ideals…Oh, Cellie, my sweet sister!" she called abruptly, turning her head.

Eizen's stomach turned as a small green figure scuttled its way across the white-horned dragon to stand in front of Niko.

"Do you recognize our brother?" Niko asked her, gesturing to Eizen.

Yellow orbs in a twisted green face turned and stared down at the Shepherd. Was it his imagination, or did she indeed seem to recognize him?

"He wants to take away your strength," Niko told Cellie. "All your power, the health and life you now have, he wants to burn it all out of you, and leave you weak and dying, as you were before I saved you. You don't want him to do that, do you, Celica?"

Instead of speaking, the creature hopped and growled angrily, making vicious noises neither human nor animal.

"Well then, stop him!" Niko grinned. "Show him what he's fighting for!"

With a final, furious snarl, Celica leapt from the back of the dragon she rode, her yellow eyes fixed on Eizen as she fell to the ground. Eizen stepped forward, alarmed that she would hurt herself, but just before impact, she curled up into a ball and bounced harmlessly down a pile of dirt before rolling to a stop in one of the valleys between the fallen rock golems. As she scuttled her way over to Eizen, he could only stare in shock and bewilderment, too frozen to move out of the way when she launched at him and sent him tumbling onto his back.

"The hell are you doing?!" he heard Zaveid exclaim.

Celica's claws scraped and scratched at Eizen as he hit the ground, aiming primarily for his unguarded face, though he did his best to keep her away. He tried to push her off and get to his feet, but she clambered all over his body, clawing and biting at him.

"Cellie, stop it!" he shouted, trying to keep her from attacking anything vital. "Cellie, it's me, your brother!"

But the little monster only moved faster, ravaging him as he desperately tried to grab her. Beside him, Zaveid reached down and he managed to catch her, tossing her aside.

"Thanks, uncle," Eizen panted, keeping his eyes on the green-furred hellion sliding away from him. Celica hissed as her claws hooked on the ground, and she darted for them again on all fours.

It was different, knowing that the creature he was fighting was his youngest sister, and Eizen couldn't prevent himself from hesitating. Zaveid didn't hesitate, though, and he smacked her down with one of his pendulums when she leapt at them. She hit the ground hard, rolled over, then charged for them again, only for Zaveid to knock her back once more.

"Are you gonna help or what?" the wind seraph demanded of Eizen.

"I…"

Above them, Niko laughed, and Eizen gritted his teeth.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I will help." Brandishing his katana, he stepped forward.

Celica spat at him, jabbering some vicious gibberish. Knowing this was his duty, knowing that this was not his sister anymore, Eizen found it within himself to dart forward and slash at her. Incredibly, she summersaulted backwards from him, and he missed entirely. Then, with one glare at him, the imp turned her attention downward, her clawed hands tearing at the earth below her. Bewildered, Eizen stared, only to lose sight of her as she tunneled under the recently-disturbed land.

"What the…?" he asked, too confused to even finish his sentence.

Niko's laughter was the only answer he got, and he had to fight back the surge of disgust that nearly overwhelmed him at the sound. Behind him, his uncle cursed.

"I can't read her," Zaveid growled.

"Isn't earth weak to wind?" Eizen asked him.

"It is," Zaveid said frustratedly, "but it's also a place the wind can't reach. She could come at us from any-"

Before he could even finish explaining the situation, Celica burst out of the ground just beside Zaveid and hurled herself at him, her claws leaving gashes all over his chest before she dove back into the ground and tunneled again.

"Damn it!" Zaveid howled.

Slowly, Eizen edged over to his uncle, until they stood back-to-back, waiting for the next ambush. "I don't know how to fight an enemy like this," Eizen muttered to Zaveid. "Even armatized, there's not much we can do but wait for her to come to us. I was trained to fight opponents head-on-"

Another blast of dirt interrupted him, and Celica dove for her brother. Only the reflexes his father had honed for him allowed Eizen to catch her with his sword at the last second and knock her aside. She snarled, then dug back into the earth.

"What is she, a mole?!" Zaveid demanded.

"Ever seen a hellion like her?" Eizen asked.

"…No," the Prime Lord replied, surprising his Shepherd. "I've seen gremlin hellions, but this is something new to me."

Another explosion of earth caught their attention, though this one was much further away. Turning just in time, they saw a spire of rock shoot out of the ground and then sink back in, leaving Celica in the air, seemingly against her will.

"You boys need help?"

"Edna!" Eizen exclaimed, turning to the small earth seraph who had pushed her way through the crowd of gawking humans. "Yes, yes we could use your help!"

"Wait, you did that?!" Zaveid exclaimed as Celica recovered from the hard fall and started burrowing again. "Be more careful! You don't have the power of purification, you could hurt her!"

"Then make me your Sub Lord," Edna told him. "Eizen must be ready by now."

"I'm ready," Eizen confirmed. "Make the pact, uncle. I'll keep Cellie busy while you do."

Zaveid nodded, and walked away to join Edna while Eizen took a defensive stance, all his senses on high alert for some sign of his youngest sister.

"Give me your hands," Zaveid told Edna.

"I don't have to," Edna replied.

"Aw, come on, please?" Zaveid begged. "I've never done this before, and besides, who knows how many centuries it'll be before I have an excuse to hold your hand again?"

"Edna, don't argue!" Eizen shot over his shoulder. "We don't have-!"

Celica's attack caught Eizen off-guard, and she slashed at the side of his head, gouging a couple of cuts deep enough to bleed before Eizen managed to dislodge her and slash at her with his katana. She dodged and burrowed again.

"Fine," Edna was saying, "one hand. But I'm not letting go of my umbrella."

"Good enough for me."

Even as he waited for Cellie's next attack, Eizen focused all the harder on the exchange that was about to take place between his Prime Lord and Edna; as Shepherd, this was vital information.

"O ye born of firmest resolve," Zaveid intoned, "here let our pact be forged-"

The green hellion launched from underground at Eizen's front, clawing at him viciously; the thick, tough threads of his cloak managed to stymie her just long enough for him to bash the hilt of his blade against her head, and she tumbled away and back into the dirt.

"-that my tetherless freedom* may be as thy purification! Shouldst thou accept this burden-"

Another attack; she seemed to be getting faster. This time, Eizen was ready, and he kicked her away before turning to watch his uncle and big sis - this was the important part.

"-speak aloud your true name!"

Eizen held his breath; as close as he and Edna had always been, he had never asked her this before, and she had never volunteered it.

"Hephsin Yulind," she said softly.

Mana swept through the air in response to this soft declaration, and Edna vanished to rest just below the hollow of Eizen's throat.

_You know what to do now, baby brother,_ she said in his head.

_Right,_ he nodded, and he lifted his left hand. "Hephsin Yulind!" he shouted.

Armatizing with his big sis felt different from armatizing with his uncle - it was the same sense of raw power merging with mundane flesh, but Edna's life force felt fundamentally unlike Zaveid's, a more steady, resolute sort of energy than the wind seraph's tempestuous essence. Most of the power focused on his arms, and alongside them, thick stone pillars formed, with hands and fingers at the ends made of rock: a giant's arms. These moved with his own arms and hands, and it was with these that he caught his youngest sister as she leapt for him again. The giant's hands were big enough to actually contain her, and she struggled in his grip before he threw her to the ground.

_Just strike,_ Edna told Eizen, _and if she tries to burrow, we can push her to the surface. Don't get too fancy, just hit her until the flames of purification can cleanse her._

_It's hard, big sis,_ he replied even as he swatted at the small hellion, each blow filled with seraphic power. _It's my little sister…_

_You're not hurting her,_ Edna reminded him. _She won't suffer any injuries. You just need to beat her into submission so she can be purified. You knew you would have to do this._

_Yeah,_ he sighed internally, _I did._

Though the hellion lasted a long time, the fight wasn't difficult; without her burrowing technique to protect her, Celica had no defense, and he blasted her with powerful blows and seraphic artes so hard she couldn't lay a claw on him. Finally, with one last punch, she tumbled to the ground and was still.

De-armatizing, Eizen ran over to his youngest sister, Edna and Zaveid by his side. Zaveid waved a hand, and white fire cascaded over Cellie's battered form; when it cleared, she was human again, the little girl he remembered and loved.

But she still didn't stir. Overhead, Niko laughed.

"And here is your lesson, dear brother," she jeered. "Thanks to you, little Cellie's already in the terminal stage of the Twelve Year Sickness, almost two years early."

"_What_?!" Eizen exclaimed, running over to pick up his sister. The heat coming off of her was alarming, and though her eyes flickered beneath her eyelids, she didn't stir as her brother hefted her in his arms.

"All the energy she's been able to spend since I saved her? It rushed the disease's progression," Niko told Eizen. "She'll be dead in two days, all thanks to you. Are you proud of yourself?"

"_You_ did this, Niko!" Eizen shouted. "_You_! Not me!"

"No…if only you hadn't burned the darkness out of her, she'd still be happy and healthy," Niko sneered. "She would live forever, free of the ailments of the flesh, if you weren't so foolish." She sat back, the dragons' wings beating harder. "I'll give you two days," she declared. "Two days, so you can watch our little sister slowly fade away. And when I return, and she's on her last breaths, we'll see if you still think malevolence is a curse."

With that, the two dragons dove, and Eizen knew by now not to duck as they swung upwards and into the sky and were gone.

"Daddy," Celica whimpered, twitching, clearly delirious with fever. "Daddy…please…train me…"

"Celica," Eizen said softly. Was it just his feverish sister, or was he starting to get dizzy from heat, too…?

"Take it easy, baby brother," Edna told him. "You just armatized with your first Sub Lord. You're going to pass out soon."

"Not yet," he growled determinedly, turning to the bridge into Ladylake where many people were still gathered. "Not yet…" He stepped forward, lifting his head to address the crowd. "I will not give in to Niko's mind games," he told the people of Glenwood. "This is my sister, but I would rather she die human than live a monster, and I know that's what she would want, too. I may have the medicine needed to save her from her illness, but there's no guarantee the ingredients we gathered will work; still, even if they don't, I would not let her go on as a hellion. Let this be a message to all of you: even my own family will die if they must, rather than be corrupted by malevolence. I will not allow anything else."

This speech took most of the strength he had left, and he couldn't help that his feet dragged as he started walking, slowly, painfully, back inside the barrier and through the crowd of people, which Edna and Zaveid did their best to part for him. Then into Ladylake…and through the alleyways…Each step was harder than the last, but Eizen gritted his teeth and kept walking, his sister in his arms. _The wants of the body are nothing against the resolve of the mind…and my resolve is to see Cellie healed. If I can sit up under Niko's domain after taking her Mystic Arte, I can stay awake long enough to use the Omega Elixir. I won't let myself rest until I know Celica's fate._

He stumbled several times, but Zaveid always caught him, never speaking or offering to take his load, just helping him along as he made the journey through the city in the middle of the lake. Stairs felt like insurmountable obstacles whenever he had to climb them, but he pushed through. Darkness clawed at the edges of his vision, his head swam in uncomfortable heat, but he kept walking, almost not realizing it when he reached the front of the little hut he and his mother had been staying in. Edna opened the door for him before he could protest, and he pushed his way inside, to where his mother sat with the stone box containing the Omega Elixir.

"Mom…" he rasped.

"Eizen?" Velvet sat the box aside and stood, her golden eyes widening when she saw who he was carrying. "Celica! Eizen, are you okay? What happened? Celica!" Her eyes darted between her two children, clearly unsure which of them to be more worried about.

"I'm fine," Eizen managed. "Just…really…"

"I'm Zaveid's Sub Lord now," Edna explained, "so Eizen's going to fall unconscious again soon. But he seems determined to stay awake until he tries the Omega Elixir ingredients on Cellie."

Relieved that Edna did the explaining, Eizen mustered all of his control to lay Cellie gently down on the bed he'd been sleeping in. Without the burden of a child in his arms, he was able to gather a tiny bit of strength, just enough to retrieve the stone box as Zaveid told Velvet what Niko had told them about the disease's progression.

Five precious ingredients. Eizen opened the box and took out the Cloud Sheep's Egg, placing it on the right side of Cellie's chest. Then the World Tree Leaf, just below the hollow of her throat; then Long Dau's Dust, right over her stomach; and finally, the Unicorn Horn, just over her heart.

"What's with the weird arrangement?" Edna asked.

"The leaf is where you are in me…" Eizen gasped, "and the egg…is where uncle Zaveid is. Fire gathers…where the stomach is, and…the horn just finishes the circle. It just…makes sense."

"Whatever."

Grasping the final object in the box, the small glass jar that contained Maotelus's tears, Eizen couldn't avoid dropping the stone container carelessly; it shattered on the floor, but that didn't matter. Struggling to stay on his feet, he tried to twist off the lid of the jar, but he couldn't muster the strength to squeeze hard enough with his fingers. He gritted his teeth and tried, but he just…couldn't…

Edna's hands gently clasped over his, twisting the lid off with him; it came easy with her support. Barely nodding his thanks, Eizen reached over and poured the single droplet out into the middle of the circle of base ingredients, where it splashed onto Cellie's little blouse.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, the spot where the tear fell started to glow, and the other ingredients glowed with it, softly at first, then brightly, like five stars come to earth. Barely awake, Eizen watched as the four objects and the tears of the Dragon of Light washed over his little sister, filling her with their energy. When the light faded, no trace of any of the items remained.

Celica stirred, then opened her eyes. "Huh?" she groaned, sitting up. "What happened? Where's daddy?"

"Celica!" Velvet sobbed, lurching forward to embrace her daughter. "Cellie, oh Cellie, my baby, how are you feeling?"

"Mommy?" Celica asked, blinking. "I…I'm fine. I feel great. What happened?" Her golden eyes turned on Eizen. "Big brother…?"

"I'm so glad you're okay," he sighed. Then he surrendered to the darkness and let his eyes slide shut; he was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

***I know this is not the incantation as it was in Tales of Zestiria; this is deliberate. You'll understand the change of words when you read part 14.**

* * *

**Shoutout to Youtube channel "Lockstin and Gnoggin", specifically the video going over flying-type Pokemon moves, for being the reason I know the difference between a katana and a nodachi, and also the reason I know that Swallow Return is actually a real thing.**


	6. Standing Here

It was incredible, seeing sickly, bedridden little Celica free from the Twelve Year Sickness at last. While Eizen slept and recovered from Edna's Sub Lord pact, Cellie darted around like an insect, running and jumping and swinging objects around for the sheer joy of being able to move freely; the way she buzzed about wasn't too dissimilar from the way she'd acted as a hellion. Edna was more than happy to step back and let Velvet be the mom when it was time to try to put the little ball of energy to bed.

"I don't want to sleep!" Celica shouted as Velvet tried to calm her newly-cured daughter. "I've done nothing but sleep for ten years! Sleep is for the weak!"

"Your brother is sleeping, Cellie," Edna heard Velvet reason as she walked away. "Do you think he's weak?"

"Well…no…"

Outside, Edna found Zaveid leaning against a wall, his expression unreadable.

"Well," Edna said to him, taking a place by his side, "all's well that ends well, I guess."

"All's well for Cellie," Zaveid stated. "But nothing has ended."

"Wow," Edna remarked, "you're really serious right now."

"I'm the Prime Lord," Zaveid shrugged. "I gotta be serious sometimes."

"Two thousand years in this world, and I can still count on one hand the times I was sure hell was freezing over…but I'm pretty sure this is one of them," Edna commented.

Zaveid chuckled good-naturedly, but nothing more.

"What are you thinking about?" Edna asked after a moment.

"Niko's power," Zaveid replied gravely, all traces of humor vanishing from his face once more. "You didn't come in until after Lady Calamity did her thing, but before you showed up…she was toying with us. See, when we got to the shore…"

The Prime Lord spent several minutes describing the encounter with Niko before Edna's arrival in detail - her disbelief that they were really the Shepherd and Prime Lord, how casually she'd summoned an army of rock golems, the revelation that she could cast and withdraw her domain at will, how she'd clearly intentionally softened the blow of her Mystic Arte just enough that it wouldn't kill Eizen outright, her remarks about Eizen's ignorance and how she didn't want to kill him until he found his answer. When he was done recounting it all, Edna was silent for a minute; though she was able to keep her face as passive as ever, underneath, she felt sick.

"Huh," she finally managed. "I didn't know the Grand Poobah of Calamity could _control_ their domain…"

"Yeah, me either," Zaveid growled. "And it puts us at an even bigger disadvantage. She could lie in wait for us, then knock us all out at once, and Eizen wouldn't be able to escape."

"She said she won't kill him yet," Edna reminded him.

"Forgive me if I don't entirely trust the word of the girl who made Mikleo dump his boyfriend's dead body in the middle of town just to make a statement," Zaveid retorted.

Edna reached for the plushie dangling from her umbrella and gave it a squeeze, tryong to suppress her concerns; she couldn't argue with that. "Well," she said slowly, "if Eizen acquires the spiritual powers of the elements, it won't matter whether Niko can control her domain or not - that's what the trials are for, after all. And now that he knows what we're up against, Eizen won't argue about taking the journey…Have you told him already?"

"I can't," Zaveid said, his tone pained. "My oath as Prime Lord prevents me from talking about…things."

"You took the same oath as Lailah?" Edna asked, surprise wiping away her worry for the time being. "I thought the time for subterfuge was past, and you could take some other oath."

"It's the traditional oath," Zaveid explained. "Me, I wanted an oath that would shave a thousand years off my life, but that's not what I got. Besides, that was the oath I made to find the ingredients for the Omega Elixir, so, y'know, I can't make the same oath more than once…"

"Wait, what?" Edna exclaimed. "How does that work?"

"In exchange for the ingredients for the Omega Elixir being out there to be found, and for me dedicating my time to finding them, a thousand years got taken off my life," Zaveid told her. Noticing her alarmed expression, he added, "Don't look at me like that, I've taken several oaths to shorten my life over the last five hundred years, whenever I can find an excuse to do so. It's…a relief, to know I won't have to live as long. Not something I regret."

Edna couldn't speak. She'd known by now, of course, how Zaveid was always secretly in pain - how he struggled with loneliness and grief, laughing so he wouldn't cry - but…to think that he actually wanted to die…any concerns about Niko's power paled in comparison to this revelation. Even if Edna would never be his girlfriend, Zaveid was family, and to know that someone in her family yearned for death…

"The point is, I can't tell Eizen about…things," Zaveid continued after a moment. "I'm not allowed to. But there's nothing keeping you quiet. Maybe when he wakes up, you can…"

"Yeah, I'll tell him about the trials," Edna managed, keeping her tone neutral even as her heart was in turmoil. "And, I gotta say, I appreciate how you don't burst out into nonsense every other second under this oath like Lailah did."

"I'm a man who knows how to keep his mouth shut," Zaveid smirked. "No need to say something else to keep my tongue busy."

Despite herself, despite everything, Edna couldn't help but laugh, if only for a few brief guffaws before containing her mirth. Zaveid was anything _but_ someone who could keep his mouth shut - as far as she could tell, he just vomited whatever nonsense popped into his head. His smile told her that he'd been fully aware of how she would react to this assertion, and she smiled back at him.

"Hey," she said, poking him in the arm with her umbrella, "don't take any more oaths to shorten your life, okay? At least not unless I die? And I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Aw, Edna, babe, are you saying you'd miss me?" he teased.

"Surprisingly, yes," Edna replied flatly, though she kept smiling. "As family. So knock it off. How many years have you already cost yourself?"

"Um…about five thousand, I think," he shrugged.

"You idiot," she sighed. "Don't do it again. And, you know, you don't _have_ to be miserable all the time."

His smile faltered, ever so slightly. He didn't respond, but Edna could hear what he thought of that, plain as day: _Yeah, I do._

Silence stretched between them for a minute; above, the stars twinkled, as though they held the answers to questions neither of them could ask.

"Well…good night, then," Edna said. "I'm gonna rest inside Eizen for a bit."

"I'm going to stay out here and keep an eye on things," Zaveid told her, and he gave her a wink. "Sleep well, sweetheart. Glad to have ya as my Sub Lord."

"Yeah, yeah," Edna grumbled, but she smiled at him one more time before retreating into her unconscious vessel.

_Misery can't be his fate,_ she thought as she drifted into a sort of sleep herself, surprised by how much she found herself caring for the pervy wind seraph - she really would never be his girlfriend, but she didn't want him to suffer, either. _No one can be put on this earth just to be in pain. There has to be something…something…_

~o~

Sleeping within a vessel wasn't the same for a seraph as sleeping while fully manifested; instead, it resulted in a sort of hybrid state between sleep and meditation, a semiconsciousness that was restful while still allowing for calm, reasoned thought. It wasn't quite as pleasant as real sleep, but Edna felt she needed to be in this state if she was going to sort out what to do about Zaveid. The fact that he'd opened up to her, however briefly, wasn't something she could ignore - he almost never showed his real feelings - and whether it was a cry for help or not, he was family. So, her mind calm and clear at the edge of sleep, she tried to sort out what to do.

There wasn't much to go on. Nothing from Zaveid's past could be undone, and sometimes Edna got a sense that there was even more to it than just the loss of his beloved Theodora, something she wasn't aware of. Short of agreeing to be his girlfriend, which she absolutely refused to even consider, though, there didn't appear to be any actual solutions. But maybe…maybe she could find a stopgap, at least, until something came up…

When Edna had finally had enough half-sleep and reached the only solution she could think of, Eizen was still unconscious, and she rose from within him to stand back outside the temporary home of the Rangetsu-Crowes. Dawn was breaking, and Zaveid was standing in the same position he'd been when she'd left him.

"How long until Eizen wakes up, do you think?" Edna asked, not bothering with greetings but starting on a neutral subject so as not to spook him.

"I give him a couple more hours at most," Zaveid replied. "Our boy's something special. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

"I mean…I gave him my blessing when he was born," Edna shrugged. "Maybe that has something to do with it."

"You did what?" Zaveid gasped. "How come you never told me this?!"

"Does it matter?" Edna asked dully. "It's not as if I even know what my blessing is. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hmm…" Zaveid smirked. "Maybe we should talk about how, since the treehouse is gone, my agreement to only flirt with you once a year isn't valid anymore? Because I could talk about that."

"You-!" Edna growled, but she suppressed her disgust; given what she was about to ask of him, the least she could do was be fair. "Fine," she said, "I guess that makes sense. No point trying to make home feel comfortable if we don't have a home anymore."

"Whoa, really?" Zaveid asked. "I expected you to put up a fight!"

"No, your reasoning is sound," Edna admitted. "It's unfortunate, but you're right. But since we're talking about breaking deals, are there any oaths you took to shorten your life that you can break?"

Zaveid flinched, but quickly recovered. "Nope," he answered, "they were all pretty cut-and-dry. Besides, I don't break oaths. That's not who I am."

"Zaveid the Oathkeeper," Edna muttered.

"That's me!" he said proudly.

Sounds from inside the priests' bunker told Edna someone else was awake, probably Celica, but she focused on Zaveid. "In that case, I want you to take an oath to extend your life, right now," Edna told him: "Take an oath that you won't take any more oaths to shorten your life, in exchange for living another three years."

"Three?" Zaveid repeated. "Why three?"

"Just to be safe," Edna replied readily, having anticipated some form of protest. "You're the Prime Lord now, idiot; we can't have you dying - or even struggling with the Call - in the middle of our quest to stop the Lord of Calamity. I don't expect our battle with her to last years, but you never know."

"Huh," Zaveid mused. "I guess that's fair." He sighed, as though the thought of living just a few more years was a tremendous burden. _I have to help him,_ Edna found herself thinking. _There must be something that can make him not hate being alive._ "Very well," the wind seraph said at last, clasping a fist over his heart. "In exchange for three years added to my life, I give you my oath as a seraph, I will never, ever again make any oaths that cost me any amount of time in this world."

Mana crackled through the air as he bound himself to his vow, and Edna couldn't entirely contain a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "At least we don't have to worry about you keeling over during our journey."

"Honestly, I don't think you did anyway," Zaveid remarked. "I'm only a little over two thousand years old, and I took five thousand off the end; it'd be pretty incredible if I only had barely more than seven thousand years to live when I first came into being, most seraphim live way longer than that."

"You never know," Edna repeated. "Isn't that what you always say?"

"True!" Zaveid chuckled.

The door burst open, and the little human whirlwind called Celica tore out of the building, hopping in place as she looked up at the seraphim like she couldn't bear to stand still.

"Uncle Zaveid! Auntie Edna!" she shouted; it was as though she had too much energy to speak at a normal volume. "Guess what guess what guess what? Eizen's awake! Come on, come see!"

Without even waiting for a response, the brunette girl ran back inside. Zaveid and Edna exchanged a glance, then followed.

Sure enough, Eizen was just sitting up as his seraphim came in. "Hey, guys," he said, tossing them a smile. "How long was I out?"

"Don't worry, it's only morning of the next day," Edna replied.

"Morning of the next day…That means we have a day and a half before Niko comes back," Eizen mused.

In the background, Celica was pestering Velvet to wake up, and the middle-aged woman rose reluctantly. "Cellie, dear, can you buy us some breakfast from the inn?" Velvet asked her chipper daughter. "Ask your uncle for some money, and to show you the way there."

"Wow, really?" Celica squeaked. Bounding over to Zaveid, she exclaimed, "Uncle Zaveid, can you show me how to get to the inn? I have to get breakfast for everyone!"

"Sure, I'll show ya the way," Zaveid grinned. "Try and keep up!"

He ran, and Celica sprinted after him, laughing. Edna smiled at how well Zaveid could handle a child with so much energy…then immediately stopped smiling when she remembered that that same man who was so good with kids was also so desperate to die.

"So…Cellie's all better, huh?" Eizen asked. "She really is…?"

"Yep," Edna replied, snapping herself back to the present. "It's a struggle to get her to stop moving, even to sleep at night."

"Good," Eizen sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I'm so glad she's going to be okay…"

"Eizen."

The Shepherd and his Sub Lord looked up to see Velvet, standing tall and wearing a loving smile.

"Listen," she told her son, "I'm want you to know that…I'm sorry. I know I've been useless since Niko turned. But you brought Celica back to me…to us, and I realize now that I should have had faith. Thank you. I won't doubt you again."

"Mom, it's okay," Eizen assured her, standing up to meet her eyes; he was almost taller than she was. "I know you've been through a lot, and the thought of losing your family again was…" He shook his head. "It's okay. I understand. And I'm glad that now you can breathe again, knowing that Cellie and I will be okay. I'll bring dad back next, and then Niko if I can. Everything will be fine, I promise."

Velvet nodded, then stepped forward into Eizen's hug, embracing him back as she smiled. She certainly looked more alive than she had in the last month or so, and Edna couldn't help a faint smile of her own. _In saving Celica, Eizen saved his mother, too._

"Listen, baby brother," Edna said at last, breaking the peaceful silence, "there's something you need to know."

"What's that, big sis?" Eizen asked, pulling free of his mother's arms.

"You don't have the power you need to take down the Lord of Calamity just yet," Edna stated. "You have the blessing of Maotelus, but you'll need the blessings of the other Great Lords before you can combat a malevolent domain as strong as Niko's."

"The blessings of the Great Lords?" Eizen repeated. "But…wait, I'm confused. Am I the Shepherd, or not?"

"You are," Edna answered, "but you're more of a…a fledgeling Shepherd, I guess." She shrugged. "Traditionally, a new Shepherd would tour the continent, and in doing so meet the pope in the capital of the Rolance Empire, who would inform him or her of the ancient knowledge of the trials needed to achieve the Shepherd's full potential, but we don't have time for that. Zaveid can't tell you because he took the same oath as Lailah, but I know the deal. There are four shrines scattered across the continent, each one dedicated to either Hyanoa, Eumacia, Musiphe, or Amenoch; you have to go to each one with a seraph of the same element and complete a series of tests to obtain their blessings. Once you have all four, then you can stand up to Niko."

Eizen pondered this for a long, serious moment. "We don't have a fire seraph, though," he said at last, "and Uno can't join us or the barrier would break, so we don't have a water seraph, either. Is there any chance you know anyone who could help us?"

"Unfortunately, no," Edna replied. "You know as well as I do that all the Elysians are cowering in Elysia, and most of them are too soft to fight anyway. But maybe there will be a fire seraph and a water seraph in Rolance who will be willing to join us. In the meantime, the only thing we can do is take the two trials open to us now."

"Which would be earth and wind," Eizen nodded. "So, which of the four trials is the closest?"

"The closest trial to us is the water trial, a little to the northwest, that's the only one in the Kingdom of Hyland," Edna stated; "but without a water seraph, we can't take that one. All the other trials are along the far southwest coast of the Rolance Empire, each about as far from here as each other. Earth might be a bit closer."

"So we should head to Rolance now," Eizen concluded. He shook his head. "I don't like that we'll have to go such a long way, and take such a long time, letting Niko do Lords-know-what, even if it's to get the power to fight her domain…"

"We can't fight her now," Edna told Eizen; "Zaveid told me what happened, you know full well we can't stop her like this. We're lucky she went easy on you, then unleashed one of her little minions on us and left, and that that minion wasn't one of her dragons. I doubt we could take down a dragon with our current strength."

"Maybe not within her domain," Eizen admitted. "But if we could separate them, there might be a chance…"

"Listen, baby brother, you're really strong," Edna sighed, "and I know you've worked hard mastering your family's weird fighting style, but dragons and the Lord of Calamity aren't fights a single human can win, no matter how good they are with a sword. You need the full power of the Shepherd to save the world."

"I see…" Eizen said slowly, but he closed his eyes and assumed his thinking stance.

"Edna?" Velvet asked gently.

"What?"

"Can I…go with you?" inquired the Shepherd's mother. "Is there some chance…I mean…" She turned and grabbed her gauntlet from the nearby table. "I can fight. I've fought against dragons and gods before. May I join you?"

"You don't have the power of purification, mom," Eizen said tonelessly, still in his pose.

"Technically, a human who isn't a Shepherd can wield the power of purification by making a Squire's pact with the Shepherd's Prime Lord," Edna said, "but I don't think you're compatible, Velvet. You were a hellion once, so you're probably just as ineligible to be a Squire as you were to be a Shepherd. You can ask Zaveid when he comes back, but I doubt he'll say anything different."

"I see," Velvet said, setting her odd weapon back down with a heavy sigh. "It's just…it's not fair. I worked so hard, and went through so much, to be human again, but I'm still not human enough to save the world from my own child…"

"Anyone who knows what you went through has nothing but respect for your accomplishment," Edna told her drily. "But life isn't fair very often. Surely you know that by now."

"I do," Velvet admitted. "I just…I don't want my son to fight this battle alone."

"He's not alone," Edna stated. "I'm with him, and so is Zaveid. Besides, even if you could be a Squire, you need to stay here and take care of Celica. She needs a mom now that she's all better."

"You're right," Velvet conceded. "You're right, Edna."

"I'll be fine, mom," Eizen said, breaking his thinking stance. "Don't worry about me. Just look after Cellie."

Though she sighed, Velvet nodded. "I will."

"So, what have you decided, baby brother?" Edna asked him.

"We'll travel across the continent," Eizen declared, "and we'll stop at all the major settlements on the way, so we can give people hope and help anyone my sister has corrupted. The Shepherd's duty isn't just to quell the Lord of Calamity, it's also to protect the people from hellions and malevolence. Now that Ladylake is safe, I need to tend to everywhere else on the continent - the rest of the world is too far out of our way, we don't have time for the voyage, but at least I can visit the other settlements on Glenwood. Once we've been through Pendrago, we'll go to the shrines of Hyanoa and Eumacia."

"Sounds like a plan," Edna shrugged. "I'm game."

Two minutes later, Celica and Zaveid returned, the wind seraph actually using his powers just to keep up with the rambunctious child. Even when she ate, Celica couldn't sit still, and Edna was glad that they would be leaving soon.

Finally, with full stomachs, Edna and Zaveid bid their farewells and took their places within their vessel, and Eizen got to his feet.

"I have to go now," he told his mother and youngest sister. "I…don't know how long I'll be gone. You two stay safe here in the barrier, okay? Don't worry about me."

"You can't tell me not to worry about you," Velvet said, her eyes glistening. "Of course I'm going to worry."

"I know," Eizen began.

"Big brother?"

"Huh?" Eizen looked down at his youngest sister, who was hopping in place.

"Can I go with you?" she asked. "I'm not sick anymore, and I'm a Rangetsu - I know I can fight all the bad guys if I get a Squire's pact!"

"Celica…" Eizen smiled fondly and got down on one knee to be at her eye level. "I know you'll be a great wielder of the Rangetsu style someday," he told her, "but it takes a lot of practice. I promise I'll train you when I come home."

"Train me while we travel together!" Celica insisted. "Come on, big brother, let me go with you!"

Zaveid's fond chuckle echoed within Eizen, audible only to his vessel and Sub Lord, while Edna sighed exasperatedly. Eizen didn't waver.

"I wish I could bring you with me," he told his overeager sister, and it was hard to tell how much of a lie this was. "But right now, I need you to do something really important, something even I can't do."

Cellie was young, but not _that_ young; she folded her arms and pouted. "I'm serious," she whined.

"So am I, Celica," Eizen stated, and Edna was surprised by the gravity of his tone as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to do something for me. If you don't, I might not be able to save the world."

Slowly, Cellie's pout faded, as Eizen's stern expression began to convince her that she wasn't just being shunted to the side. "What is it?" she finally asked.

"I need you to take care of mom," her brother told her. "Stay here with her, and keep her safe."

"But-!"

"Listen, Celica," Eizen went on, raising his voice to override her protests. "Niko tried to use you against me, and she's probably going to do the same thing with dad. If she has a chance, I'm sure she'd take mom and use her too. I need someone to stay here and make sure that that doesn't happen even if something goes wrong with the barrier." Celica's eyes widened. "You're the only person I can trust to look after mom, Celica, so can I count on you to protect her? Can your Shepherd entrust you with this task?"

Lifting her chin as high as it could go, Cellie clasped her fist over her heart. "Of course!" she promised. "I swear by my blades and by my blood, mom will be safe with me! I'll make sure nothing gets her, not even if the barrier gets taken down! I'll take on Niko and her dragons all by myself if she tries to take her!"

"Good," Eizen laughed while giving a sigh of relief that Edna didn't think was entirely feigned. "That's a huge weight off my shoulders; now, I can go save the world without worry. Thank you, Celica. I know mom will be safe as long as you're protecting her."

Even as he got to his feet, his sister started bouncing around the room again, delighted to have been given such an important task by the Shepherd himself. Velvet had her fingers over her lips; it was clear that she, like Edna, understood Eizen wasn't entirely just making up a reason to keep Celica out of harm's way.

"Eizen…"

"I don't know how long I'll be gone," Eizen said before she could say anything. "Please, stay within the barrier; I need you to stay safe. No matter how long I'm away, you can't come after me."

"I know," Velvet sighed. Grasping her left hand, she ran a thumb over the scar that slashed through her palm: all that remained of her own days as Lord of Calamity. Gazing at the old wound, her golden eyes were sad. "I know," she repeated softly. "If I can't fight by your side, then I have to stay here, inside the barrier, where…where Phi, and Celica, can keep me safe, so Niko can't capture me and use me against you, like you said." The middle-aged woman shook her head, squeezing her eyes against tears. "Niko…she wanted to become the Lord of Calamity to save Celica's life, but now that she's achieved her goal, she gambled Celica's life in hopes of breaking your spirit. She's not thinking like a human anymore…" Her grip on her scarred hand tightened. "I know what that's like, all too well. So I know, I have to stay here. But…" SHe lifted her gaze to her son again. "I'll worry," she whispered.

"I know," Eizen said, putting a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but…it'll be okay. I have to do this."

"I promised I would trust you," Velvet said. "And I do. Just…please be careful, sweetie."

"I will, mom," Eizen promised, stepping forward and enveloping her in a tight hug. She hugged back, not quite tightly enough to hide the fact that she was shaking. "You be careful too, though, okay? Stay within the barrier, and stay with Celica."

"I will," Velvet promised.

They parted, and Eizen started for the door.

"Eizen?"

"Yeah?" Eizen looked back.

Velvet's golden eyes glistened. "Remember the forgotten maxim," she all but whispered.

Eizen blinked, then nodded. "'Don't despair, no matter what,'" he recited. "I know. I won't."

"You say that now…" Velvet muttered sadly; clearly, like Niko, she believed Eizen's certainty was founded on his ignorance. They weren't exactly wrong, but Edna had to shield her vessel and Prime Lord from feeling her irritation all the same - would it kill anyone to have a little faith in her baby brother? _I know him better than anyone,_ she thought privately, _and if I thought there was even a chance the ugliness of the world would deter him, I would have talked him out of this from the start. Even when he figures out how the world works, he'll be okay. He won't end up like Shepherd Artorius, not even if Niko captures and kills Sadie and makes him watch._

_In fact…if she did do that, it'd be good riddance…_

"I love you, mom," Eizen was saying. "Stay safe."

"I love you too."

As Eizen reached out and turned the handle of the priests' bunker, his ears picked up on Celica's excited squeak behind him: "Hey mom, until dad comes home, how about you teach me some of _your_ moves?"

Laughter followed Eizen outside. "Okay," came his mother's voice, her tone lighthearted and teasing as though nothing was wrong, "but I have to warn you, my techniques are formidable even for a Rangetsu!"

"_Cool_!"

Exhaling deeply, Eizen left his family behind. At long last, carrying his seraphim family, he started walking through Ladylake, heading for the gates. Though the journey ahead would be long, Edna knew, there was something refreshing about the beginning of a-

"Hey! Eizen, bro, wait up!"

At the bottom of the steps to the marketplace, Eizen turned to see his best friend David running after him, and Edna and Zaveid arose from within to meet the boy. David had a bright, handsome young face, with tousled brown hair and eager gray eyes. He was a nice kid by anyone's standards, if a bit hapless, and though Edna would rather ignore him and continue to the bridge, she couldn't begrudge Eizen for stopping for him.

"David," Eizen greeted formally. "It's good to see you, my friend, but I have to go."

"C'mon, man, don't be like that," David chuckled. "I know you're the Shepherd now, but we're still buds, right?"

"Yes, of course," Eizen said, his tone still unnaturally stiff. "But it is my duty to protect the people, including you. I must-"

"Seriously, dude, cut it," David said, punching him lightly in the arm, and at last Eizen broke his tense stance and allowed himself to smile. "Drawing that sword from the altar didn't make you fifty years older all of a sudden."

"You're right," Eizen sighed, still smiling. "But listen, as much as I'd love to hang out, I really do have to go. There are some things I need to do before I can take Niko down, and the sooner I take care of her, the better."

"Let me go with you," David said.

"Huh?" Eizen blinked.

"I know that Shepherds can have Squires," David told him. "Why don't you make me your Squire? I can fight, you've taught me a few of your old man's moves, and-"

"No," Eizen stated, taking a step back. "No, David, I won't have any Squires. No one else should have to suffer for my sister's madness."

"I'm serious!" David insisted. "Come on, Eizen, let's take this journey together, whatever it is you have to go do. We always do everything together!"

"Not always," Eizen said wistfully.

"Then let's make up for the times we didn't!" David said. "You're my best friend, man. Don't leave me behind."

"I just want you to be safe," Eizen told him.

"I can take care of myself," David responded.

Sighing heavily, Eizen turned to Zaveid. "What do you think, uncle?" he asked.

Zaveid frowned very seriously and walked right up to be nose-to-nose with the human boy. He stared silently for a minute, then walked around the nervous David slowly, appraising every inch of him. Finally, the wind seraph lit a white ember in his hand and placed it against David's forehead; David flinched, but didn't pull away.

"His resonance is a bit low," Zaveid said at last. "It might take a little while of sharing your resonance before he can armatize. But he is definitely pure enough to be a Squire, there shouldn't be any trouble forging the pact if you decide to do it, and with the minimum resonance being more than enough to see seraphim nowadays, there shouldn't be any real danger to you from the bond either." Stepping back at last, he folded his tanned arms. "I say it's up to you, Shepherd. I'll make the pact if you ask me to."

"Come on," David pleaded, "let me fight with you."

For a moment, Eizen didn't reply; he didn't take his thinking stance, but Edna could tell he was calculating. Finally, he turned to Zaveid.

"Uncle," he said, "give me the Sacred Blade."

"Huh?"

"Give me the Sacred Blade," Eizen repeated.

"Uh…okay." From within his semicorporeal being, Zaveid drew the dull, ancient sword and handed it to Eizen, clearly as clueless about where this was going as Edna was.

"David," Eizen said, "if you can fight well enough, I'll make you my Squire. Here." He drew his precious katana and held it out to his friend. "You take my sword, and I'll use the Sacred Blade as a handicap. We'll spar, and if you can beat me, or last more than two minutes without me disarming you, you can join me."

"Sweet!" David spared one grin as he carefully took hold of the katana, then steeled his expression and took a defensive stance. "You're on!"

Eizen crouched, preparing himself for battle. For a moment, he was all but still, shifting the sword in his hand as though testing its weight and balance, while David stood ready to counterstrike. The kid's form wasn't bad, Edna thought, but having seen what Eizen could do when he went all-out, she didn't have to watch to know what the results would be.

Suddenly, Eizen stepped forward, swinging the Sacred Blade a bit wildly, obviously unused to controlling such a heavy weapon. David managed to block it, but Eizen stayed on the offensive, quickly adjusting, and six clashes of metal on metal later, the katana was on the cobblestones, the Sacred Blade at David's throat. Eizen wasn't even breathing heavily.

"So," David panted, "all those sparring matches…you were just going easy on me, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Eizen said, holding the pose. "But if you can't hold your own against me, you won't be anything but a burden in a real fight. You have to stay here, where I know you're safe."

_He's taking this whole "standing alone" thing a little too seriously,_ Edna thought. _Not that he's wrong, but…_

"I understand," David sighed. "We made a deal, and I couldn't deliver. It's fine. You…you go and be the Shepherd. But I'll be here cheering for you every step of the way."

"Thanks," Eizen told his best friend with a genuine smile. "That means a lot to me."

"Hey, hellion-spawn!"

The sudden, furious voice broke the moment, and from the top of the stone steps, a young woman with curly golden hair tied back in a knot and a two-headed battleax at her hip stormed over to where the two friends were parting. Edna couldn't contain a sigh of irritation, and not just because of her low opinions of the girl; how many people were going to stop them before they managed to leave the city?

"What do you think you're doing, attacking one of our citizens?" Sadie demanded of Eizen as he lowered the Sacred Blade. "Have you already turned your back on the Shepherd's duty? Typical of someone like you," she spat.

"Hey, take it easy!" David exclaimed, stepping in to push her away from where she was trying to get in Eizen's face. "I asked to be his Squire, and he told me he'd make the pact if I could last in a sparring match with him for two minutes or longer, that's all. He wasn't attacking me."

"Oh really?" Her brown eyes turned on Eizen again as he handed the Sacred Blade back to Zaveid and retrieved his katana, an icy flame igniting in their depths. "Is that your challenge, then? Anyone who can last in a fight with you can be your Squire?"

"Uh…"

"Then why not take me on?" Sadie sneered, drawing her battleax. "I'm up for the challenge. Make me your Squire!"

"Sadie, I, er…"

"No one would trust you with this world's safety," the golden-haired girl sneered; "take me as a Squire or admit you're useless. Is it true that the Lord of Calamity threw you around like a ragdoll yesterday?"

Eizen winced, and Edna stiffened. "That wasn't his fault," she told the belligirent human coldly. "As Lord of Calamity, Niko exudes a powerful malevolent domain; we seraphim are rendered unable to manifest within it, and any human bearing the flames of purification is affected likewise. If you'd been a Squire, you wouldn't have fared much better."

Sadie's contemptuous expression softened as she turned her icy brown eyes on Edna, and her tone was polite as she said, "Be that as it may, Lady Seraph, clearly this hellion-spawn isn't strong enough to stop the Lord of Calamity by himself. Surely, the more help you have, the better?"

Disturbingly, Edna couldn't argue with that. Beside her, Eizen shook himself, and Edna winced; despite accepting Sadie's rejection, she knew he was still crazy about her, though to this day, she couldn't fathom why. "It's…it's not that simple," he managed at last. "Zaveid, help me here, would you?"

"Sure thing." Zaveid strode forward, and Sadie put away her weapon, straightening up nervously.

Once again, Zaveid said nothing as he appraised Sadie, first from the front, then walking around her to look her up and down, though Edna thought he took more than a little longer than he had with David. Then, he lit a silver flame in his hand and placed it against her forehead, in response to which she jerked and gasped.

"She's got good resonance," Zaveid remarked, "more than Davey-boy over there; she should armatize just fine. And she's not generating any malevolence, either, which is kind of surprising for someone so judgmental."

Sadie opened her mouth indignantly but didn't speak.

"Apart from her nasty personality, she'd make a fine Squire!" Zaveid concluded as he stepped back. "But, it's up to you, Eizen."

"Edna?" he asked, turning to her for the first time. "What do you think?"

This was not an easy question to answer, and Edna pondered it for a minute. As much as she disliked Sadie, as the girl herself had said, some real help in battle would never be unwelcome, considering what they were up against. And really, what were the odds that this uppity bigot could stand against Eizen in battle for more than two minutes anyway? "You might as well give her a shot," Edna answered at last. "Same rules as with David, but you get to use your katana since she has her own weapon. If she can last that long, well, we need all the help we can get, so long as it's useful."

Eizen nodded. "Very well," he stated, turning to Sadie and drawing his katana. "I will give you an opportunity to become my Squire. Draw your weapon."

Sadie smirked, pulling out her ax once more and flipping it over the back of her hand. It was a one-handed weapon, though the double-sided head was massive; it crossed Edna's mind that Sadie had probably trained with that thing a lot to twirl it around so effortlessly. _But a few cheap tricks won't win a fight._

They stood still for a long minute, neither of them moving. Then, Eizen slowly took a step to his left. Sadie mirrored his movement, and they circled each other, both their faces frozen in concentration.

"Clock's ticking!" Edna called from the sidelines.

"Not it's not, we haven't started yet!" Eizen countered, sounding alarmed.

"You're moving, aren't you?" Edna pointed out.

"Grr…" Eizen's jaw clenched, and Edna wondered if he really had it in him to swing a blade at his crush. A moment later, her fears proved groundless, as he darted forward and slashed with his katana.

Sadie lifted the side of her ax and blocked his blow effortlessly.

With a shout, Eizen started swiping at her, dancing with his blade so fast that Edna couldn't see him. What Edna _could_ see, however, was Sadie blocking his swings with her ax - though she wasn't quite as fast as he was, she was still remarkably fast, and her weapon's wide head gave her an advantage. After a few more seconds of blocks without a single counterattack, Edna suddenly understood what Sadie was doing: _running out the clock_. She didn't have to disarm Eizen, she just had to last a certain amount of time, so she was focusing on that instead of taking risks. _She's clever,_ Edna admitted privately. _A__nd we need a human on our team who doesn't only think with their weapon in the middle of battle._

Silently, despite the human girl's judgmental heart, Edna found herself rooting for Sadie as Eizen grew frantic, his blows becoming sloppy as he desperately tried to get through Sadie's defense before time was up; Edna wondered if he understood what the older girl was even doing. In any case, blocking him just got even easier, and Sadie defended herself stoically, always keeping her ax between herself and Eizen's sword.

Finally, Eizen stepped back, panting, as Sadie's lips curled into a sneer. He closed his eyes, focusing, then _one-two-three_, he struck the ax, feinted, and jabbed the point of his sword against Sadie's throat.

"I win," he said, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, but she won the challenge," Edna stated.

"Huh?" Eizen turned back to her, his golden eyes wide with alarm.

"It's been a least two minutes," Edna remarked tonelessly.

"Even if you take out the part when you weren't exchanging blows, she definitely won," Zaveid added. Edna wasn't so sure of this, but she didn't question him.

"I defeated your challenge, hellion-spawn," Sadie said haughtily. "Now make me your Squire. Or are your vows as worthless as your blood?"

"My vows are _bound_ by my blood," Eizen stated, though he couldn't muster a cold tone even in response to Sadie's nastiness. "As you wish. Zaveid, how does this work?"

"Each of you, give me one of your hands," Zaveid instructed. "Eizen, once I finish my incantation, give Sadie a true name in the ancient tongue, and the pact will be complete."

Eizen nodded, and Sadie held out her hand almost nervously as Eizen clasped one of Zaveid's hands with determination. Zaveid took Sadie's proffered limb, then closed his eyes.

"A new bud forms on the holy branch," he intoned, his dramatic disposition lending itself well to the ritual. "Its flowers bring fruit. Its fruit begets seeds. The circle of destiny turns once more! Give life unto the will of the Shepherd, and let it be proof of their bond. Thy true name as a Squire shall be…" He turned to Eizen expectantly.

"Er," Eizen stammered, his ears pink, and Edna got the sense that he wasn't prepared for some reason. After stuttering a few more moments, he managed to blurt out, "Bimiuv Kau!"

_Really?_ Edna thought as the pact was sealed, mana passing over the new Squire. _"Bimiuv"? That was really the best you could do? You'll never hear the end of this…_

Once the power of purification was sealed into Sadie's blood, she stormed over to Eizen. "Did you just call me a cow?" she demanded.

"Uh…Bimiuv _Kau_," Eizen corrected. "'Kau' means 'Sadie' in the ancient tongue."

Sadie frowned in thought, and Edna could almost see her doing the math in her head. "So it does," she grumbled at last. "What about 'Bimiuv', what does that mean?"

"Er…" Eizen's face flushed a deep red. "It, uh…Well, you see, it, um…it, er, means…um…'warrior'," he stammered.

"Seriously?" Edna asked flatly, stepping over to stand by his side. "If you're going to lie that badly, you might as well tell her you don't know what it means. But more importantly…" She turned to the belligerent human. "How do _you_ not know the ancient tongue?" she demanded. "I thought you said you trained your whole life to be a Shepherd."

"I did!" Sadie exclaimed defensively. "I trained very hard! And I _do _know the ancient tongue, I…I just can't translate it off the top of my head very well."

"It's a good thing you didn't draw the Sacred Blade, then," Edna remarked. "Imagine if you'd become the Shepherd and found someone you wanted to make your Squire, but couldn't because you couldn't come up with a true name for them on the spot."

"You're right," Sadie said, bowing her head. "I neglected that aspect of my training. I beg your forgiveness for my transgression."

"Since you're not apologizing for your actual transgression, apology not accepted," Edna snipped.

"Aw, don't be like that," Zaveid told Edna, and he turned a grin on Sadie. "Welcome aboard, Bimiuv Kau; it's good to have you."

"The pleasure is all mine, my Lord Seraph," Sadie told him.

"The name's Zaveid," Zaveid told her, "and this here is Edna."

"It is an honor to serve you, Lord Zaveid," Sadie said, only bowing even more, "and you as well, Lady Edna. I will do my very best to be worthy of the power you've granted me, and to serve you with all of my being."

"Uh…" Edna and Zaveid exchanged a look, one that made it clear they were both thinking the same thing: _Oh great, she's one of _those_ people…_

From the sidelines, David laughed, and he walked over to cuff Eizen on the shoulder. "Good luck with that, man," he told the young Shepherd. His smile faded, and he added, more seriously, "I mean it. Good luck. With everything."

"Thanks," Eizen responded. "Please, stay safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Do what you gotta do," David said. "See you."

"See you," Eizen said as his best friend trotted off.

"Well," Zaveid cleared his throat, "we should get going."

"Where are we to go?" Sadie asked him.

"We're going to stop by Marlind, then head into the Rolance Empire," Eizen answered; "once there, we'll help anyone who's been having trouble with the Lord of Calamity, then head for the shrines of earth and wind to take the trials of Eumacia and Hyanoa."

"Trials?" Sadie questioned as they started walking for the gates out of Ladylake.

"I'll explain on the way," Edna told her. _And if we're lucky, I'll get to teach you about more than just the trials of the Shepherd…_

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**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of a battleax] ****"The Girl With Golden Hair" - Proof that a certain someone has joined you for your quest. She doesn't like you very much right now, but maybe battling together with her will bring mutual understanding.**


	7. This Wilderness

**Note: This chapter is primarily dedicated to establishing lore for this fic series. If you have played both games and read "Burn These Feelings", a portion of this chapter might feel redundant to you, though you are still encouraged to read the part in question for clarity regarding certain lore bits concerning seraphim and malakhim. Also, if you have not read "Burn These Feelings", this chapter is essentially written with the intent of answering all the questions you definitely have by now, assuming you somehow got this far into this fic.**

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While Edna quickly explained the Shepherd's trials to Sadie, Eizen took a moment to stop by the store and buy some medicine, just in case they got injured during their quest. _It's hard to think I'm going to use what my father taught me,_ he mused. _That I'm actually going to fight for my life now, and not just once, but again and again and again, every day, against monsters who want to kill me._ Though the idea was surreal, it wasn't daunting. _Father taught me well, and I have Edna and Zaveid with me. Whatever comes, I can handle it. I _must_ handle it._

As was the usual for Eizen's big sister, Edna's explanation of what they were doing was more than brief enough to be done by the time they reached the gates of Ladylake. Zaveid, who had been resting within Eizen during talk of the trials, emerged as they approached the contingent of knights who guarded the bridge, presumably to lend his support. Eizen didn't expect any trouble, so he was as alarmed as anyone when a shout rang out from among the armed warriors.

"Sadie! Where the devil do you think you're going?!"

Sadie's expression darkened briefly as a knight broke formation to stand imposingly before the Squire, and though the look passed quickly, Eizen didn't miss it.

"Father," she said evenly, "I am a Squire now; I wield the flames of purification on behalf of Lord Zaveid, and I am going to battle the Lord of Calamity."

The man lifted the mask of his helmet to reveal a beefy face with a thick blond mustache and piggish blue eyes. "Like hell you are," he growled. "You know Sir Leybon doesn't want you to go out and fight."

"I've been made a Squire," Sadie repeated.

"But you failed to draw the Sacred Blade!" barked her father. "All your training, and the seraphim deemed you unworthy! You have no right to be a Squire!"

"And the one who _did_ draw the blade is any better?" Sadie challenged. "I'm not going to sit back and entrust the fate of the world to hellion-spawn like _him_!" She brandished a hand in Eizen's direction. "Are you?"

Sadie's father growled, casting hateful eyes on Eizen as he turned from his daughter to stand in front of the Shepherd and lean forward so his face was inches away. "I don't know what trickery you pulled to draw the Sacred Blade," the blond knight growled, engulfing Eizen's face with his sour breath, "but I'm not falling for it. If you thought us honest folk would just forget what kind of scum you are now that you have seraphim answering to you, think again!"

Disgust roiled around in Eizen's gut, and he let himself feel it for a brief moment before replying. "I don't care what you think of me, Mr. Halloway," he stated, proud of himself for keeping his tone as neutral as Edna always kept hers. "I am the Shepherd now, and I will defend you and everyone else in this world from malevolence whether you want me to or not; I'm not asking you to like or respect me, and I don't need you to to perform my duty. Sadie has generously volunteered to help me with that duty, and I'm grateful to her."

"Volunteered, eh?" the man grumbled, turning back to his daughter.

"Yes, father," Sadie said, her tone and expression unreadable even to Eizen. "The pact has been made."

"And what about your wedding?!" Mr. Halloway demanded, and Eizen was glad the man's back was turned so he wouldn't see him flinch in shock.

"As with everything else in this city, my wedding can wait until after the Lord of Calamity has been stopped," Sadie responded.

"Hmm…" The knight turned to the two seraphim who were standing by passively, waiting for the exchange between humans to be done. "You two," he barked. "You keep my daughter unharmed, you hear? Sir Leybon doesn't want a wife all covered in battle scars."

"You sure about that?" Zaveid asked, a dangerous undercurrent to his tone that Eizen had never heard there before. "I know I'd be honored to have a wife with battle scars."

"More importantly, who do you think you are to tell us what to do?" Edna added, her blue eyes glaring in full intimidation mode.

Mr. Halloway gave a slight bow. "Begging your pardon, Lord and Lady Seraph," he said. "But I figured, if you're willing to take orders from hellion-spawn, you'd be glad to be given a task by an honest, pure-hearted man."

"Eizen is a more honest and pure-hearted man than you will ever be," Edna stated. "I didn't see _you_ trying to draw the Sacred Blade and save the world from malevolence. Besides, arranged marriages are outlawed in the Kingdom of Hyland; you'll be lucky if we don't report you."

_Arranged marriage?_ Eizen thought, feeling slightly dazed, but Sadie's father blanched.

"Do you see her complaining?" he demanded of Edna. "My wife and I worked long and hard to secure such noble prospects for our daughter! She'd have to be a fool to turn down the chance to marry a nobleman such as Sir Leybon, and as long as she doesn't refuse, it's not illegal! You have nothing to report me for!"

"Whatever," Edna scoffed, turning her back. "We have better things to do than waste time on you. Let's go, everyone."

Zaveid aimed a surprisingly sharp glare at Sadie's father before walking after Edna, and Eizen followed them without thinking. After looking at her father for a long moment, Sadie joined them, and the four of them walked through the barrier and onto the shore of the lake together.

"Please don't report my father," Sadie said suddenly.

Eizen, Edna, and Zaveid turned on her; her face could have been chiseled from stone.

"I am entirely willing to marry Sir Leybon," she stated; "he is fiftieth in line for the throne, and the union will bring great honor to my family."

"Have you even met this guy?" Edna asked dully.

"Of course!" Sadie replied. "We have dined together five times."

"Yeah?" Zaveid asked. "And what's he like?"

"Sir Leybon is…a gentleman," Sadie replied hesitantly. "He is of royal blood. I am honored to be his betrothed."

An awkward silence fell over the group, but Eizen was glad for it; he still needed a few moments to process what had just happened. He had long known that Sadie would never care for him, but the fact that she was engaged to someone else still stung, a lot more than he had expected it might. "It's not important right now," he finally said after a long minute. "Right now, we have a duty to attend." He looked around, appraising the land, then added, "I planned for us to head straight to Marlind, but there's a lot of open territory to the north of here…I wonder if we should clear it out first, just in case my sister left any hellions wandering around?"

"She probably did," Edna said, "but it would be a waste of time. We need to take the trials and stop her as quickly as possible; she's much more aggressive than other Lords of Calamity have been. Even if we have to take detours, our time would be better spent heading for the unguarded settlements - they're in a lot more danger than anyone in Ladylake, thanks to the barrier."

"I don't know," Zaveid mused, "it would be good to get some practice in before charging into whatever disasters await us in the other settlements, especially with a new Squire - Niko probably hit those pretty hard. Hey," he turned to Sadie, "what do you think, Bimiuv Kau?"

"Well…" Sadie began slowly, almost hesitantly.

"It's incredibly disrespectful to lie to a seraph, you know," Edna inserted, and Sadie flinched.

Eizen blinked, his mind lagging, though he felt like he should have been able to put the pieces together - Edna wasn't someone who confused him very often, but he couldn't imagine what Sadie had been about to lie for. _I need to focus,_ he told himself. _Sadie's engaged to another man, and I need to get over it, it doesn't change anything. She wouldn't have me anyway…_

"I…This may be improper of me," Sadie stammered after a moment, "but…" She put a hand to the hilt of her battleax, the pommel of which Eizen only just then noticed was the head of some sort of fanged animal. "I…I've never fought an opponent who wished me harm, and…well…I would like to," she blurted out at last, a spark lighting in her dark brown eyes.

"Nothing improper about that," Zaveid grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Where on earth would you get that idea?"

"Sir Leybon claims it is unseemly for a woman to engage in combat," Sadie replied in a small voice. "He would…rather I not. Says it's unladylike."

"Well, Sir Leybon is wrong," Zaveid told her; "there's nothing sexier than a woman in battle!"

Sadie blinked, and Eizen withheld a slight chuckle at the look on her face. "I…I beg your pardon, Lord Zaveid, I must have misheard you," she said. "I thought you just used the word 'sexy'. But surely, a divine seraph would have no need for such language?"

"Why would you assume something like that?" Edna asked before Zaveid could reply.

"Well, it's common knowledge that the holy seraphim do not breed," Sadie answered with a hint of nervous laughter. "You simply manifest, as perfect, pure beings of divine power, with no need for the trappings of the flesh."

"Are you-?"

"Hey, she's not wrong," Zaveid cut Edna off before she could finish the inevitable question, 'Are you stupid?'. "The important thing here is that there's nothing 'unseemly' about a woman fighting…and that Sadie's going to have to do a lot of it, as a Squire. So, let's head north and get some practice in!"

"Alright," Eizen sighed, relieved that the focus had changed to something he was comfortable with; regardless of Sadie's personal life, he knew he could fight, and he turned north and started walking. "Let's take a look around."

Zaveid and Edna retreated within him, leaving him simultaneously alone and not alone with Sadie as they walked, both with hands on their weapons. Eizen wondered if she, like him, had been listening to all the reports of hellion attacks since Niko had killed Sorey, and was surprised that they hadn't been assaulted already.

_Say something to her,_ Edna encouraged him from within, the words clearly shielded from the Squire who walked behind him. _You might as well._

_But…_ Eizen began in his mind, then shook his head. His eyes still on the lookout for hellions, he tossed over his shoulder, as casually as he could, "So, uh…where'd you learn to use that battleax?"

"That's none of your business, hellion-spawn!" Sadie spat.

_Hey, don't be like that,_ Zaveid said in their heads. _Come on, Sadie, we're all curious._

"I…I learned from my father," Sadie answered hesitantly.

_The same father who didn't want you to fight?_ Edna asked dully, speaking for Eizen without asking.

"Please forgive him, he…he's very self-conscious about his mistake," Sadie responded.

_Mistake?_ questioned Zaveid.

"He trained me hard growing up, in hopes I could be the next Shepherd, or at least be of some service to the protection of the people," Sadie explained. "Then, when he managed to arrange my union with Sir Leybon, Sir Leybon made it very clear that a lady shouldn't fight, that he didn't want a wife with callouses and battle scars. My father was humiliated for having raised me improperly, and he's been…touchy, ever since."

"Sadie," Eizen sighed, unable to let his seraphim hold the conversation for him any longer, "that's-"

A hissing sound cut him off, and he turned, one hand on his katana, to see a cluster of abnormally large serpents slithering towards him.

"Hellions!" he shouted as Zaveid and Edna emerged to join the fight, and the four darted forward to engage the beasts in battle.

The fight was nothing compared to trying to take down an entire army of rock golems; Eizen found that he barely even had to try. It was almost disappointing, how quick and underwhelming their victory was, and the purified snakes fled in fear.

"Hey, whoa, what do you think you're doing?!"

Eizen turned sharply to see Zaveid gripping Sadie's upraised arm, preventing her from swinging her weapon down on the now-helpless garden snake that was trying to escape.

"We can't just let it get away!" Sadie shouted, struggling against him.

"Sure we can!" Zaveid exclaimed. "It's purified now, it won't hurt anyone!"

When the tiny reptile was out of sight, Zaveid released Sadie, who turned on him, her dark brown eyes blazing with anger and confusion.

"That creature was a hellion!" she spat. "It can't be allowed to live!"

"Yeah," Edna remarked dully, walking over to join the confrontation, "it _was_ a hellion. Now it's not. Can't you see that?"

"That's the power of purification," Zaveid said, clearly trying to diffuse the situation with his grin. "The little snake can slither on home now. No need for bloodshed."

"But…but…!" Sadie spluttered, her cheeks red. "But it won't _stay_ that way! We have to kill it now, while it's been cleansed, or it'll just turn back before long!"

"Sure, it _could_ turn back into a hellion," Edna shrugged. "It probably won't, though, unless Niko gets to it again; purification is usually permanent. Seriously, why did you think we were purifying hellions in the first place if you were just going to kill them?"

"W-Well, purification is used to absolve a hellion of its sins so it can die a pure death!" Sadie answered, a note of desperation in her voice.

"Wrong," Edna stated; "the power of purification is used to give hellions another chance at _life_. That's the whole point of having a Shepherd. If we were just going to kill them anyway, we wouldn't need to bother with Prime Lords or Maotelus."

"We won't be killing anything on this journey," Zaveid concurred, "not unless they refuse purification…plus Niko's dragons, but dragons can't be quelled. So long as we have a Shepherd, killing is a last resort, not a go-to." His frown deepened as he added, "Be grateful you live in a time when hellions can be purified. It wasn't always like this, you know."

"Of course it has!" Sadie exclaimed. "The Great Lord Maotelus has always granted the flames of purification to the land, watching over us and-"

"Wrong again," Edna cut her off. "Maotelus has only led the Great Lords for a little over fifteen hundred years."

"But that's preposterous!" Sadie protested, and Eizen was starting to regret letting her come along. "The Great Lord Maotelus is eternal!"

"Maybe he is now, but before he existed, the Five Lords were led by a seraph called Innominat," Edna told her. "Though really, Innominat was more of a monster than a Lord; the world's a lot better off since Maotelus rose to power. Zaveid and I can both attest to this; we were centuries old when he came to be."

"How…how is that possible…?" Sadie breathed, looking as though she might faint.

"Tell you what," Edna said, "each time you quell a batch of hellions without killing any of them, I'll tell you a little bit of the story. How does that sound?"

As Eizen thanked each of the Five Lords for Edna's ingenuity, Sadie nodded. "As you say, Lady Edna," she agreed.

_Thank you,_ Eizen told Edna as she and Zaveid returned to rest within him.

_Don't mention it,_ Edna replied, toneless even in his head. _Humans are naturally curious; taking advantage of this rarely fails._

The further away from Ladylake they got, the more hellions they found - birds and wolves and more snakes, all sorts of wildlife corrupted by Niko's twisted agenda. As promised, for each cluster they cleared and Sadie withheld the final blow, Edna told her a little bit of the tale of Maotelus's rise to power, briefly and concisely, without embellishment. Sadie was apparently committed to hearing the story, because she didn't spill an innocent creature's blood even once as they made their way through Lakehaven Heights.

"Originally, there was no way to combat malevolence," Edna began with their next bloodless victory. "Anything that was corrupted would be corrupted until it died. The leader of the Great Lords was a being known as Innominat, the Nameless One; not sure why he was nameless, since the other Great Lords have names, but whatever. His power was Suppression.

"As mankind would grow and spread, malevolence would become more and more plentiful in the world; Innominat devoured this malevolence, and when there was enough to feed his endless hunger, as well as two pure souls with high resonance sacrificed to him for whatever reason, he would awaken. With his awakening would come seven hellions designed to be his mouths: the therions, who would consume malevolence and feed him with what he needed to complete his purpose.

"This purpose was to suppress all human emotion, preventing further malevolence from generating, and leaving mankind as puppets capable only of the purest logic and reason. Inevitably, humans would quickly determine that their will to live was against reason, and destroy themselves.

"Innominat's Suppression would decimate the human population, but it could only be sustained so long as there was malevolence for Innominat to consume. Eventually, there would be too few humans left alive to produce enough malevolence to fuel him, and he would fall dormant again, leaving behind a handful of survivors to rebuild.

"This was the cycle that ruled the land for tens of thousands of years, until a little over fifteen hundred years ago, when a man named Artorius Collbrande somehow got it in his head that he could find a way to control Innominat and use the Great Lord's power to save the world without destroying it. His unborn son was an accidental sacrifice, but he willingly took the life of his brother-in-law as well.

"Artorius's sister-in-law witnessed the act, however, and swore vengeance. Ironically, this made her perfectly receptive to the form of malevolence known as hatred, and she became a therion, one of the Seven Mouths of Innominat, with the power to consume malevolence and whatever else she wished.

"Artorius was crowned as the world's first Shepherd; meanwhile, the last therion of hatred broke free from imprisonment and began her quest for revenge. Amassing a group of humans, other hellions, and even some malakhim, she ravaged the land, quickly claiming the mantle of Lord of Calamity."

"What are malakhim?" Sadie asked abruptly.

"Quell some more hellions without killing them and I'll tell you," Edna replied.

"As you wish, Lady Edna."

With their next victory, they were now turning southwards again, having cleared out a significant number of monsters from Lakehaven Heights, as Edna answered, "Malakhim were seraphim who served the Five Lords, those who descended from the Heavenly Realm to attempt peaceful coexistence with mankind, as opposed to the seraphim who remained in the Heavenly Realm and wanted to wipe out all life on earth. The meaning was forgotten in the tens of thousands of years after the Heavenly Gate closed, and was applied to all of us, including those who came into being after the split…even those of us who despised humans and wanted nothing to do with them. The reason we don't go by the name anymore is that, when Maotelus rose as the new leader of the Great Lords, something changed about us - before that, we couldn't produce any malevolence no matter how impure of heart we were, but after he came to power, we gained the ability to produce malevolence of our own. Now that we aren't guaranteed to be completely pure anymore, we can't serve the Great Lords like we used to, so we started being referred to as simply 'seraphim'."

"Why?" Sadie asked. "Why did you change?"

"Dunno," Edna shrugged; "I don't think anyone knows why it happened."

They fought another battle, and then Edna continued her story.

"Anyway, where was I…? Oh yeah. Over the course of her quest, the Lord of Calamity learned the truth about what Shepherd Artorius was trying to do, and extended her vow of revenge to Innominat as well. After fighting the forces of the Abbey - the origins of the church you know today - she managed to push the world back from the brink of Suppression by awakening the other Great Lords.

"Finally, she and her allies confronted Shepherd Artorius and Innominat, and she killed the Shepherd who had betrayed her. However, knowing that, as part of Innominat, she and the other therions, as well as a young malak who had joined her - the reincarnation of the unborn child first sacrificed to Innominat - would die if Innominat was destroyed, she instead used her power as a therion to trap Innominat in an eternal loop of eating and being eaten, consuming his life force and converting it into malevolence as he devoured the malevolence in her.

"With the fifth Great Lord sealed away, the remaining Great Lords, having been awakened earlier, called for a new one, as one was needed to keep them in balance. The young malak who had been part of Innominat stepped forward and volunteered, bearing the original Silver Flame, some weird remnant of Innominat's ability to consume malevolence that manifested as an ability to burn it away.

"The young malak wanted to be able to give the world the power of the Silver Flame, so that anyone who fell to malevolence could be given a second chance at life if they were willing. The Great Lords accepted his request, and granted him his power and title as new leader of the Five Lords. Thus, Maotelus and the power of purification came to be."

They were just passing the path to Aroundight Forest as Edna finished her tale. By now, Sadie wasn't even struggling to stop herself from killing newly-quelled hellions anymore, and Eizen was confident in both his combat and armatizing abilities against creatures of all sizes.

"I see," Sadie nodded. Then she smiled at Edna and added, "You had me going for a little while there, Lady Edna; I thought you were going to say that the Lord of Calamity you were describing was his mother." She waved a hand at Eizen dismissively.

"She is," Edna informed her: "Velvet Crowe was the Lord of Calamity who stood against Shepherd Artorius and Innominat."

"Oh?!" Sadie gasped. "But…but how can that be…?"

"Quell some more hellions without killing them and I'll tell you that story too," Edna stated.

Eizen thought this might be a bit much, but Sadie nodded eagerly, dashing away without waiting for her companions in search of more hellions to quell. It was odd, Eizen thought as he followed her; she seemed more invested in this than she had been in the origins of the power of purification. _What's going on with her?_

"Like I said," Edna continued after the next fight, "Velvet, the last therion of hatred, didn't complete her quest alone - there were humans, malakhim, and other hellions allied with her. One of the hellions of her group was a swordsman named Rokurou Rangetsu."

"His father?"

"Yes."

Another fight, and Edna went on, "Rokurou's dream was to be the strongest swordsman in the world, but he spent centuries training and was never satisfied. Somewhere along the way, he became obsessed with the idea of breaking Velvet free from the seal that trapped Innominat with her.

"Zaveid was an old acquaintance of Velvet and her allies, and when he ran into Rokurou a thousand years later, he cast an illusory arte of another old companion, a malak they had both been close to, who mentioned offhandedly that he knew someone who might be able to help Rokurou with his obsession. Rokurou started asking around, and eventually he ran into the Squires Rose and Alisha, who were among the first to join the worldwide quest to heal the land so that Sorey's great work could be completed. You know about Sorey's great work, right?" Edna added sharply.

"Yes," Sadie replied, "the effort to save the Great Lord Maotelus from the brink of malevolence and return him to his position as leader of the Five Lords. It took five hundred years of hard work before Shepherd Sorey and the Great Lord Maotelus were able to return to the world."

"I worked with them, as the Sub Lord of earth," Edna explained after the next fight, "and it just so happened that the malak Rokurou had been friends with…was my brother. So of course, when he ended up asking us if we knew the malak, I had to answer yes."

"I didn't know seraphim had family," Sadie remarked.

It was Zaveid who spoke up, explaining even as they quelled more hellions, "We don't have blood family, since we aren't born like creatures of flesh, but some of us come into being with an inexplicable bond with each other. You could say that for us, family is more about the bonds we feel with others, not what we look like or who our parents were. Y'know, since we don't have any."

"The trouble was, Sorey's work had just begun when Rokurou asked for our help, and he needed Maotelus to get to where Velvet and Innominat were sealed away," Edna continued, ignoring this tangent. "He pestered me and Lailah for five hundred years while we waited for Sorey to return, and when Sorey finally came back, Rokurou was there and waiting.

"Sorey, being the softhearted idiot he is…_was_, agreed to help Rokurou rescue Velvet, without asking a single question about who she was or why Rokurou cared. When we encountered Maotelus, he recognized Rokurou and agreed to help, and we all went deep into the earthpulse to find the seal.

"When we got there, Rokurou used his swords to break the seal apart…somehow. We still don't know how that's possible when Maotelus himself couldn't put a dent in it, but that's what happened. Unfortunately, this happened to come with the added effect of releasing Innominat as well.

"Luckily, Innominat no longer had the power of a Great Lord, while Maotelus did; where once Innominat had tried to consume the seraph that was part of him, now that seraph could only consume him instead. Innominat didn't resist, and willingly gave himself to Maotelus, granting Maotelus the strength he had taken into the seal with him.

"Velvet and Rokurou went off together, Sorey having made Rokurou promise to keep an eye on Velvet and make sure neither of them caused any trouble in return for helping rescue her, and Maotelus took some time to adjust to the new strength he had gained from eating Innominat. When he had adjusted, unfortunately, he couldn't prevent the spread of resonance across the world, causing all hellions and seraphim to be visible to all humans."

Sadie's swings of her battleax seemed rushed as they passed Ladylake and reached the Falkewin Hillside, though she still avoided killing anything.

"This happened because the mark of Innominat's impending Suppression was that hellions, and then malakhim, would become visible to all as he gained strength; spreading resonance across the land was what Innomiant did whenever he arose," Edna continued as they fought the handful of hellions they found here. "Meanwhile, Velvet and Rokurou, being stuck together without any goal, realized that they were broken and miserable as hellions, and ultimately allowed themselves to be purified.

"Maotelus used the remains of the power from the seal that had contained Innominat to make Velvet and Rokurou human, so they could live their lives instead of crumbling to dust like they should have after being kept in the world for so long. Eizen was born about a year later." Edna shrugged. "And that's all there is to it."

"So…" Sadie cut off as a cluster of bird hellions swooped at the adventurers, but when they were purified and flying away, Sadie turned on Edna with something like anger. "So…the recent calamity was an _accident_?!" she exclaimed.

"That's right," Zaveid replied for Edna. "Completely unintended. All because a man couldn't stop thinking about a woman. Pretty romantic, what Rokurou did and caused just to live a quiet, peaceful life with a family, ain't it?"

"Romantic is the _last_ word I would use," Sadie grumbled, but she didn't offer further explanation.

A few more hellions met them on their way to the river between Ladylake and Marlind, but Sadie had apparently already gained the habit of not killing her enemies. _That was genius,_ Eizen told Edna when she at last came to rest within him. _I can't believe it worked._

_Humans are also creatures of habit,_ Edna responded; _once they get used to something, they never get un-used to it._

_Still…_

_I hope the bridge isn't out,_ Edna remarked, this apparently audible to Sadie now as well.

"Why would it be out, Lady Edna?" Sadie asked.

_It was during Sorey's quest,_ she answered.

_No problem,_ Zaveid spoke up. _If it is, you two can just use Silver Wind to cross the gap!_

_Wind Rush, you mean?_ Edna asked.

_Nope,_ Zaveid replied. _I'm the Prime Lord, so the power I grant Shepherds is the one that carries the power of purification with it._

"The power you grant…?" Sadie questioned.

_Basically, seraphim of each element can grant humans a special power by becoming their Prime Lord or Sub Lord,_ Zaveid explained: _Flame Burst for fire, Spectral Cloak for water, Giant's Strength for earth, and Wind Rush for wind. But being the Prime Lord adds the flames of purification to whichever power he or she brings to the table; traditionally, a Shepherd would use Silver Flame instead of Flame Burst, which can cleanse concentrations of malevolence that don't manifest as hellions as well as light fires. Since your Prime Lord is a wind seraph, Wind Rush becomes Silver Wind, with the same added bonus that Silver Flame normally has._

"And the others would be…Silver Cloak and Silver Strength?" Eizen asked as they rounded a corner.

_That's right!_

_What an utterly useless bit of trivia,_ Edna remarked.

"I don't think it's useless," Eizen said. "But, it looks like we won't need it; the bridge is fine."

_So it is._ Edna emerged from within Eizen as they approached the riverside, as did Zaveid; Eizen didn't miss the sad look in her eyes as she glanced to their right. Following her gaze, he saw a spire of rock piercing the heavens in the distance.

"Is that…Rayfalke Spiritcrest?" Eizen asked her. "Where you and your brother used to live?"

"Yes," she replied tonelessly.

"Do you…maybe want to stop by there?" Eizen asked her. "Make sure no hellions are…you know…around?"

"No," she replied, though he knew she had heard his unspoken meaning…perhaps _because_ she had heard it. "We've wasted enough time already; we need to get to Marlind."

As Sadie crossed the bridge, followed by Zaveid and Edna, Eizen hesitated. _I'm really doing this,_ he thought, eyeing where the dirt gave way to carved stone. _I'm really traveling across the world…_

"Eizen, are you coming?" Edna asked, turning back to him.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Eizen replied, though he stayed rooted to the spot. "It's just…I've never been this far south before, and I never thought I would be. Give me a minute."

"It's the same dirt on the other side of the river, you know," Edna pointed out.

"I know," he said, but he still hesitated. More than quelling hellions, or drawing the Sacred Blade, or curing the Twelve Year Sickness, or seeing his own sister riding and controlling a dragon, leaving behind the land he'd always known and venturing out into unknown territory felt surreal. It made everything feel more true, more…irreversible. Gripped by a sensation of dread he couldn't understand, Eizen struggled to lift a boot.

"We don't have all day," Edna told him, prodding him with her umbrella and jolting him from his trance.

He laughed, pushing the weapon aside. "Take it easy, big sis, I'm coming."

The affectionate nickname rolled off his tongue without him even realizing it, nor did he realize he'd slipped up even after an enraged shout drew his attention:

"_How dare you_?!"

Eizen looked up in surprise, only for Sadie's one gloved fist to sock him in the eye with surprising force, knocking him to the ground.

"The nerve!" Sadie shouted, drawing her battleax and holding it over Eizen's chest threateningly. "Hellion-spawn like you, talking so casually to a holy seraph, referring to her as _family_! Apologize to Lady Edna this instant!"

"Uh…" Eizen blinked, unsure how to respond.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Edna roll her eyes. "I'll handle this, _baby brother_," she told him, emphasizing the nickname.

"Huh?" Now it was Sadie who turned around in surprise only to be met with a sharp blow, this one from Edna's umbrella spearing neatly between two plates of her light leather armor, hard enough to send her doubling over.

"Let me make something very clear to you," Edna told Sadie coldly as Zaveid wordlessly crossed back to the north side of the bridge and helped Eizen to his feet: "If you ever hit Eizen again, Squire or no, I will kill you."

"But I…I don't understand," Sadie gasped, one hand over the spot where Edna had stabbed her. "Lady Edna, I was only trying to defend your honor from this hellion-spawn. Surely a divine seraph such as yourself wouldn't stoop so low as to consort with-?"

"Were you listening to even a single word I said the entire afternoon we were quelling hellions?" Edna asked coldly. "Eizen's parents aren't hellions, and haven't been since about a year before he was even born. I know, because I've been living with them for nearly as long."

"_Living_ with them?!" Sadie squeaked. "Lady Edna, what could possibly drive you to live with-?"

"They were friends of my brother, and they're good people," Edna stated, and Eizen marveled at how Sadie wasn't withering under her glare. "They're my family now, and Eizen is my baby brother. If you don't like it, you can go back to Ladylake and your arranged marriage and resume a life of bigotry."

"If _I_ don't like it?!" Sadie exclaimed, straightening. "But what about _you_? A holy seraph deserves much better than to have hellion-spawn for family! This wretch is beneath you!"

"You can think that if you want," Edna shrugged, twirling her umbrella over her shoulder, "but keep it to yourself unless you want me to seal you in stone for as long as it takes for us to reach the Rolance Empire. It's not like you're going to change my mind."

"Sadie," Eizen told his Squire gently, stepping forward to try to calm the situation, "I grew up with Edna, and Zaveid too." Zaveid nodded, lending his support. "I'm going to call Edna 'big sis' sometimes," Eizen went on, "and I'm going to call Zaveid 'uncle'. You don't have to like it, but you need to accept it if you're going to travel with us."

"Why should I accept it?" Sadie demanded. "Why should _they_ accept it?!"

"Because we want to," Zaveid told her. "We're all family here, have been for years. Like I said, for us, family is about the bonds we feel with other people. Usually other seraphim, but now that all humans can see us, we can form those bonds with humans, too."

"For example," Edna picked up, "while Eizen is my baby brother, his sisters refer to me as 'auntie Edna', even though all three of them have the same parents. I'm not quite as close with them, so our familial bond isn't as strong. Even then, though, they are family."

"But…but…" Sadie shook her head. "But they're _hellion-spawn_!" she insisted. "Their parents are ancient monsters! Why would you stoop so low as to live with _that_ family?"

"You really are stupid," Edna grumbled. "I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall."

"Listen, Sadie," Zaveid sighed, "we seraphim are people too. We love, we have friends, we form families. Just because we aren't made of flesh doesn't mean we don't have feelings."

"Indeed," Edna concurred, "And while we're on the subject, please stop calling us 'holy seraphim'. There is nothing I despise more than when a human acts like I'm going to grant their wishes just because they got on their knees and groveled to me, as though I have nothing better to do with my time than solve their problems. We all have problems, and we all have to deal with them on our own. And right now, my biggest problem is a narrow-minded, obnoxious human who bullied her way into becoming my baby brother's Squire and now won't let him talk to his family like family because of her own moronic ideas."

Sadie was apparently too stunned to respond, manically shaking her head, her brown eyes wide. Eizen actually felt sorry for her. _It's not her fault she was raised to believe certain things, and she's not going to just forget everything she's been taught in a few hours,_ he thought. He opened his mouth to suggest that they just move on, but Edna interrupted him before he could speak, apparently not done.

"You know my seraph brother, the one I mentioned was friends with Eizen's family?" she asked. "Before he turned into a dragon, he was a pirate who served as first mate to the pirate king Aifread, terrorizing the seas. Even as malakhim, we weren't all good and pure and perfect. I'm about as close to perfect as a seraph can get, but…well, I'll admit that I have a temper." This last was begrudging, something Edna would never have admitted unless she was actively trying to make herself sound flawed.

"While we're talking about our _vices_, Sadie-" Zaveid began with a nasty smirk.

Edna jabbed him in the arm with her umbrella. "Whatever you're about to say, we're all happier not hearing it," she told him.

"But how else is she supposed to understand that we're not really _that_ different from humans, if she doesn't know-?"

"_Shut up_," Edna growled, lightly stabbing Zaveid in the gut this time. "Seriously. We don't want to hear whatever gross information you're thinking of telling us."

Smiling at the sheer normalcy of the banter between his seraphim family, Eizen stepped forward at last, not even noticing as his boots landed on the stone of the bridge. "Let's just get to Marlind," he told his companions. "We've talked a lot today, but we have a job to do, a duty to attend. Sadie…" He faltered. "No one here is going to tell you what you should believe, but…well, we're not going to lie to you either, or pretend to be something we're not. And what we are is a family. If you're going to fight alongside us, you need to keep your biases to yourself. It's not productive for us to fight amongst ourselves when we have dragons and a Lord of Calamity to worry about."

"Well said!" Zaveid praised. "Besides, it'll be sunset soon. Let's get going!"

After a long moment of Sadie not protesting, Edna and Zaveid retreated to rest within Eizen, and he walked past his Squire to cross the bridge that led beyond any place he had ever known before.


	8. In This Closing Darkness

The moment Eizen set foot on the other side of the river, Edna realized that she had been wrong: things were _very_ different across the bridge. A wave of malevolence crashed down on Eizen's head, shaking Edna in her place within him as he buckled slightly under the weight.

"Aagh!" he cried out, struggling to stand up straight as the malevolence pushed at him, resisting him.

_Niko must be close,_ Edna told him. _Turn back, baby brother, we can't face her yet._

"What in the…?" Sadie groaned from behind. "What…is this?"

"It's Niko's domain," Eizen growled in response. "She must be close by."

"Domain…?"

"This is how she was able to…how did you put it? Toss me aside like a ragdoll?" Eizen explained. "I don't know why…why it affects us like this - I didn't feel anything like this the night Niko turned - but…this is what we're up against, why we have to take the trials. We can't fight her with our current power."

Sadie snarled wordlessly; Edna could hear the girl's frustration in her voice. _It's because you're wielding a Great Lord's power,_ she explained to the humans. _Using the power of purification also makes it so that malevolence is a lot harder on you than it is on normal humans._

"Still, we can't turn back," Eizen went on, apparently ignoring Edna, and she frowned. "If Niko's causing trouble in Marlind, we can't just leave them to suffer; besides, we _have_ to go this way. Let's just…be careful."

"Don't pretend to have noble intentions, hellion-spawn," Sadie spat. "If you were alone here, you'd run away and save yourself."

Ignoring Sadie - probably because he wanted to devote all his energy to pushing through the domain - Eizen forced his body to take a step forward. With a huff of irritation, Sadie did the same.

_No, turn__ back!_ Edna shouted. _Wait her out! If she sees you-_

The Shepherd took another step, not even acknowledging Edna at all, and that's when it dawned on her.

_He can't hear me,_ she realized with horror. _The domain's too strong…Zaveid?!_

_I hear ya,_ came the wind seraph's voice, his presence reaching a comforting hand out to her. _Take it easy. We gotta trust our Shepherd._

But that was extremely difficult to do when their vessel was dragging himself through the domain, one hand on his katana. _Stop!_ Edna screamed. _Stop! Turn back! We can't face her like this!_

_Relax,_ Zaveid told her. _Eizen ain't stupid._

_There's a difference between being stupid and being stubborn,_ Edna pointed out as Eizen determinedly stumbled his way forward, towards Marlind. _He's just like his parents._

_That he is,_ Zaveid agreed, _but stubbornness always served them well. There's nothing we can do as long as we can't manifest anyway, we have no choice but to sit back and watch. No point in worrying._

How Zaveid could still act so carefree when Eizen and Sadie were forging their way ahead even as malevolence clawed at them from all around was beyond Edna. She felt helpless, and, embarrassingly, a little afraid. _Please turn back,_ she begged, even though she knew Eizen couldn't hear her. _Please…you can't fight her…_

_He knows,_ Zaveid remarked to Edna. _He said as much._

_Then why is he still moving forward?!_ she all but shouted at her Prime Lord.

Zaveid didn't have an answer for this.

There were hellions here, unsurprisingly, though what was surprising was how few assaulted them. Eizen and Sadie fought valiantly without their seraphim, but the toxic domain sapped at their strength; it took a lot of medicine to counteract the effects. Sadie didn't even refuse the gels Eizen offered her as they slowly made their way through the hills, quelling anything that approached them but not seeking battles. Then, as they rounded a stone ridge and the gates of Marlind came into view, the sound of massive wings beating against the air froze the Shepherd and his Squire in place.

"Duck," Eizen muttered to Sadie, pressing against a nearby boulder and creeping into some thick undergrowth. "Hide!"

Sadie followed, and soon the two were hidden but close enough to see where Niko's dragons circled each other around the front of the village. A moment later, Niko's demented laughter echoed across the field, and Edna felt Eizen grit his teeth. She couldn't blame him; the sound was hellish.

"I know you're here, dear brother!" called the Lord of Calamity.

Eizen stiffened.

"I know you can hear me!" Niko went on, her voice mocking. "Come on out! There's no sense in hiding!"

_Please don't fall for it,_ Edna prayed, and though he couldn't hear her, Eizen shrank back, crouching down in the brush to avoid being seen. Above the field, the two dragons ceased their circling to hover in place, and Niko laughed again.

"Running away from your own misdeeds, are you, brother of mine?" she taunted. "Can't stand to watch our little sister die, lest you decide you really do want her to be saved? Perhaps you're learning; good for you!" Even at a distance, Edna could see, through Eizen's eyes, when Niko's grin twisted into a scowl. "But your gesture is in vain!" she went on. "Cellie won't die if you're not there. She'll just remain in the throes of the terminal stage of the Twelve Year Sickness, suffering and unable to move, for however long you're away. You have to _watch_, dear brother, or she'll endure. You will not escape this lesson!"

Confusion swirled through Eizen's chest, unknowingly matching Edna's own. _How can she say something like that?_ Edna wondered.

_How can she _ensure_ something like that, is the better question,_ Zaveid remarked. _Celica was purified, Niko shouldn't be able to have any control over what happens to her, even if the Omega Elixir hadn't worked._

_You don't think she's bluffing?_

_She doesn't sound like it,_ Zaveid sighed. _More likely, there's something going on here that we don't know about._

"So you left her to suffer, but you won't face me?" Niko teased. "What ever do you think you're doing out here, then, noble Shepherd?"

"Eizen, get out here!"

This shout came, not from Niko, but from the hellion who rode her dragon companion. From the back of the dragon that had once been Mikleo, a monster jumped down to the ground, all black and red and vicious spikes. His four muscular arms each drew a blade, daggers in the lower hands, greatswords in the upper hands. Edna felt Eizen's confusion over his sister's words turn to sheer horror at the sight of his father.

"Eizen!" Rokurou shouted, his glowing red eyes blazing as he turned around and around in place. "Don't you dare hide! No son of mine should be cowering away from a battle!" Only a few rags covered his waist and legs, fragments of his precious kimono; besides that, he was all black skin stretched taut over solid muscles, glowing red veins spiderwebbing across his body, spikes in place of his hair. "Get out here, son, and face us like a true Rangetsu! Every moment you spend hiding is a disgrace to our family's honor!"

A faint sigh carried to Eizen's hiding place on the breeze. "Grab him," came the distant sound of Niko's command.

Mikleo swooped down and snatched Rokurou up in his claws. Rokurou cried out and struggled, but the beast's grip was firm as he flew up to hold Rokurou in front of his daughter.

"I did not command you to seek him out," Niko told her father sternly. "You are to await my command before you act. Remember, I am the Lord of Calamity; you are my subject."

"Your mother was the Lord of Calamity once too, and even though we fought together, I never _obeyed_ her," Rokurou sneered. "I don't obey anyone's orders! And my son-"

"Is learning his lesson," Niko cut him off. "This is all according to our plan, so long as you don't blow it. What happened to all that discipline and restraint you tried to teach us growing up? The time to act will come; it is not now. You know this."

"But-"

"Do you want me to take away this gift I've given you?" Niko asked dangerously. "You know what will become of you if I do."

At this, Eizen's father stilled. "No…" came his quiet grumble, barely audible to his son. "No…I don't want that…"

"Then behave," Niko huffed. "Wait your turn."

"…Yes, Niko," Rokurou growled, and he sheathed his blades; the dragon Mikleo loosened his grip, and Rokurou clambered his way onto the monster's back once more.

"We will leave you to your devices, dear brother!" Niko shouted. "Whatever it is you think you're doing, you are free to do as you will. But know that every moment you spend out here, our sister is at death's door, a threshold she will never cross so long as you're away. Until next time!"

At last, the two dragons dove down to gain momentum before swinging upwards into the air, flying away. Slowly, the domain eased, until it was completely gone. Free of the burden, Eizen stood, panting.

_Baby brother?_ Edna asked. _Can you hear me? Eizen? Hello? Hellooooo?_

The Shepherd shook his head, as though to discourage a bothersome fly.

_Eizen!_

"Edna?!" Eizen gasped. "Is that you?"

_Finally._ Edna emerged from within her vessel to stand in front of him. Without a word, Zaveid joined her.

"What happened to you, noble seraphim?!" Sadie exclaimed. "Why did you not aid us?!"

"Sorry, babe," Zaveid shrugged, "we would've helped you if we could've. Niko's domain suppressed our ability to manifest - that's what a powerful malevolent domain can do."

"And Niko can control her domain," Eizen added. "She did when we fought Celica. But…I didn't feel it on the night she turned, though I know she would have wanted to stop us…"

"Oh, she was exuding her domain the night she turned," Edna informed her baby brother. "Getting through it was a struggle for me. The thing is, malevolent domains don't have much effect on normal humans, but now that you carry the power of purification with you…" She frowned, searching for the right words.

"Think of it like this," Zaveid piped up: "Your existence stands against everything malevolence is. In a way, being a Shepherd - or a Squire," he added with a nod to Sadie, "makes you almost half-seraph. Malevolence doesn't want you around, so it'll try to push back against you, because it knows you'll destroy it if given the chance. That's the best way I can think to explain it, at least."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Edna agreed. "But once the other Great Lords add their blessings to the one you carry from Maotelus, their combined power will act as a shield against malevolent domains, both for you and for the seraphim you carry with you. We will be able to manifest under even the most intense of darkness, and your movements won't be inhibited by the impurity in the air."

"Yeah…I guess there's no getting around it, huh?" Eizen sighed.

"Duh," Edna grunted.

With a shake of her head, Sadie stepped forward. "Well, domains aside…what on earth was all of this about just now?" she asked. "How did the Lord of Calamity know we were here? And…and what was that about leaving your sister to die?" she demanded of Eizen.

"It's odd," he mused, frowning. "She knew we were here, but she doesn't know that Cellie's been cured."

"We don't know that she knew we were here," Edna pointed out. "She could have been bluffing."

"No, I don't think so," Zaveid said. Edna looked at him, and was surprised by how grave his expression was as he shook his head. "She seemed like she knew, _really_ knew. Something's not right…she's toying with us. I don't like it."

"But she thinks Celica is still sick," Edna pointed out. "She can't be all-knowing. I'm more inclined to believe she was bluffing. It doesn't make sense that she would leave us alone if she really knew we were here."

"And she only started talking to us the moment we were close enough to hear her?" Zaveid countered. "That's a mighty big coincidence…and in my experience, if something seems like a coincidence, the truth is that you don't know everything that's going on."

"She knew Celica wasn't going to die," Eizen said, "but she seemed to think she was still sick. That's what I don't get. Why would she believe Cellie's going to live if she doesn't know Cellie's been cured?"

"Cured of _what_?!" Sadie shouted. "Answer me, hellion-spawn!"

"Our youngest sister had the Twelve Year Sickness," Eizen explained quickly. "Zaveid gathered four of the five ingredients needed to make the only cure, an Omega Elixir, and I got the fifth just after Niko turned. After I purified Cellie, the disease's progression had been accelerated, but it wasn't too late to save her; we made the elixir, and now she's okay."

Sadie shook her head, and Edna realized the human girl was entirely out of her depth. _Maybe we shouldn't have brought her,_ Edna thought;_ she's getting to be more trouble than she's worth. She hasn't even armatized yet._

"To answer your question, Eizen," Zaveid sighed, "I wondered that myself. You purified her, Niko shouldn't have any sort of hold on her now, so I can't think of a way she could keep Cellie alive at death's door indefinitely."

"Which brings us back to my theory: she's bluffing," Edna stated. "Seriously, that's the only thing that makes sense."

"Maybe," Zaveid muttered. "But then what was that about taking a gift away from Rokurou? It's obvious she's holding something over him…"

"What does that have to do with Celica being sick?" Edna asked pointedly. "You're assuming the two things are related for no reason I can see."

"Listen, none of this matters," Eizen stated abruptly. "What's important is that we have a duty to attend to, and we can't do anything about Niko as we are now."

"That, and the sun's going down," Zaveid added, gesturing at the darkening sky. "Even if we weren't going to lend aid to the other towns, we'd have to stop in Marlind anyway."

"Right," Eizen nodded, and he strode for the gates without another word.

"He learned this from you, you know," Edna growled at Zaveid as they followed the Shepherd.

"What's that?"

"Not thinking."

Zaveid chuckled. "Pretty sure Rokurou taught him that," he remarked. "Honestly, I _wish_ he took after me more."

In response, Edna jabbed him in the side, maybe a bit harder than she should have.

"Ow! The hell was that for?" Zaveid demanded, though he smiled.

A panicked gasp from behind them caused Edna to roll her eyes; she couldn't take it anymore. "Yes, surprise surprise, seraphim can swear," she snapped at Sadie. "What part of 'we're people too' do you not understand?"

"Easy, Edna," Eizen said over his shoulder as they neared the village. "We've all had a long day, and we're not done yet." He went to open the door, but apparently, it was locked. "Hello?" he called, knocking one gloved fist on the gate. "Is anyone there?"

Instantly, a dozen soldiers appeared atop the village walls, all with bows drawn, arrows pointed at the visitors. "Who's there?" called one of them. "Identify yourselves!"

"I am Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe, the Shepherd," Eizen declared. "This is my Squire, Sadie Halloway, my Prime Lord, Zaveid, and my Sub Lord, Edna. The Lord of Calamity was here a few minutes ago, and we were hoping to lend our aid to anyone she might have hurt. Do you need our help?"

"Help?" came the same voice, a hint of hysterical laughter lacing the man's tone. "If you're the Shepherd, then we could damn well use your help! Open the gates!"

Slowly, the massive doors to the village groaned open, and Eizen stepped through them, only to stop short with a gasp. Edging around from behind him, Edna quickly understood why: what looked like ropes of malevolence crisscrossed the entire village, thick cobwebs of darkness that made taking even a few steps seem like it would be difficult.

"What happened here?" Eizen gasped as Sadie and Zaveid joined him and Edna across the threshold and the gates closed behind them.

"We were hoping you would know," came the same voice that had called to them from the wall.

Everyone turned to see a man in a cloth mask approach them, a bow slung over his back.

"These strands have been growing ever since the Lord of Calamity first killed Shepherd Sorey," he explained, pulling down the mask to reveal a tanned, plain face. "We can't cut them with weapons. The Lord of Calamity claimed that if we joined her, they wouldn't bother us anymore, but…"

"I'm glad you didn't listen to her," Eizen told him. "What's your name?"

"Name's Jason," he replied. "I'm what I guess you'd call the captain of the guard around here, not that we can do much. And…" He sighed heavily. "I think you'll be disappointed by how many people want to give in to the Lord of Calamity's demands. I mean, have you seen that girl? She's _controlling_ two dragons!"

"I know," Eizen said, "and I understand why people would want to listen to her - even the seraphim are hiding in Elysia, afraid to act. But please, don't worry; I'll clear this mess, and then I'll go on my way to put a stop to her."

"_We_ will," Sadie corrected, stepping forward.

"How's the Lord of the Land?" Zaveid asked Jason. "I find it hard to believe this could happen within his domain."

"He…became sick, when the Lord of Calamity first came to us," Jason said hesitantly.

"A dragon?"

"No," Jason answered, "but not himself, either. What's strange is that he hasn't started to mutate into a drake of any sort, he just tells us he's weak and sore."

"That _is_ strange," Zaveid agreed. "We'll look in on him and see what we can do."

"Please clear the streets first," Jason begged. "Some people can't even leave their homes anymore."

"We will do what we can," Eizen promised. "You should get back to your post in case of hellion attacks."

"Thank you, noble Shepherd," Jason said, bowing, and he pushed through the black webbing in the direction he'd come.

"Well," Zaveid said slowly, "this stuff shouldn't be too difficult to clear up."

"Silver Wind, right?" Eizen asked. "How do I use it?"

"How do _we_ use it?" Sadie corrected.

"Sadie, babe, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you can't," Zaveid told her. "Shepherd's power only, though he can take you with him when he uses it, if it's needed to cross a river or a chasm or phase through a barred door."

"Phase through a door?!" Eizen exclaimed.

"Only one with bars," Zaveid said; "only something the wind could get through. When you use Silver Wind, you _become_ the wind for a moment. Here, I'll show ya…"

He disappeared to rest within Eizen, but Edna stayed outside. While Eizen presumably got some instructions on how to use his seraph's power, Edna approached Sadie, who was looking on indignantly.

"What did you expect?" she asked the human tonelessly. "You're not the Shepherd. Did you think being a Squire would make you able to do everything he can do?"

"I worked my whole life for this," Sadie growled. Then she glanced over, and, apparently realizing who she was talking to, flinched and changed her tone. "I'm sorry, Lady Edna, but I thought that, as a Squire, I was allowed to share in the powers granted to the Shepherd by the holy seraphim."

"For the most part, you are," Edna shrugged, deciding not to go over the whole 'holy seraphim' thing again for now, "but you're not our vessel. Eizen is. Only by being a seraph's vessel can you channel our powers directly."

Sadie looked away, and Edna got the distinct impression that she wanted nothing more than to storm off and sulk. Still, she didn't, and Edna supposed she had to give the girl points for showing some amount of restraint.

A whooshing sound caught her attention, as Eizen used Silver Wind for the first time, breezing through a tangle of malevolent webs, which burned away in his wake. He looked back and smiled, and Edna smiled with him…only for both of their smiles to fade as the severed ends writhed and began to regenerate.

"What the hell?" Zaveid exclaimed, emerging from Eizen.

Frowning, Edna poked one of the sticky black ropes with her umbrella, only to almost lose her balance as her weapon went right through the gooey-looking darkness. "Hey, look at this," she piped up, prodding the point of her umbrella through it again. There was no resistance of any kind, as though the web simply wasn't there.

"It's made of malevolence," Zaveid mused. "Probably only as physical as it wants to be, like us."

Edna turned to the Squire still waiting at the entrance as the golden-haired girl cautiously approached the stuff herself, prodding at it with her ax and meeting no resistance, then holstering her weapon and putting her hand through.

"Ugh." Sadie shuddered and pulled back. "It may not be as thick as it looks, but it feels gross."

"Also to be expected, since it's made of malevolence," Edna commented.

"In any case, I can't blame the locals for not wanting to walk through it," Sadie went on. "But if it's not meant to physically obstruct anyone, what is it for?"

"That's a good question," Eizen told her, and he settled into his thinking stance.

"…What are you doing?" Sadie demanded of him.

"He's thinking," Edna told her. "This is the pose he takes when he's thinking really hard about something."

"Why would that be?" Sadie asked.

"Dunno," Edna shrugged, "but it works for him, so who are we to question it?"

As though he hadn't heard them, Eizen lifted his chin and took a breath as he broke the formation of his hands. "Maybe all of this is a by-product of something else," he suggested. "A side effect, not the actual affliction. That would also explain why Silver Wind can't burn it away without it coming back."

"Makes sense," Edna said, and she remembered something that Sorey had had to deal with on his own quest when he passed through this town. "There's probably a source somewhere, if not multiple sources; we should look for those and burn them away."

"Where'd you get that idea?" Zaveid asked her.

"Just a guess based on a mess Sorey had to clean up here five hundred years ago," Edna replied. "Come on, Eizen, let's start looking."

With that, Edna retreated into her vessel, as did Zaveid, and Sadie pushed her way through to where Eizen had landed. Though he could have made the journey easier for himself and his Squire, Eizen also shouldered his way through the semi-corporeal webs of darkness. From within him, Edna could feel the cold, jagged way the insubstantial ropes slid across his skin, like jelly that was full of thorns.

They walked through the malevolence-choked town, across a tiny stream to grassy paths between buildings that seemed still and silent. Though the webbing was thick, there was no sign of any place where it seemed concentrated.

"I know I'm just a Squire and not worthy of the Shepherd's power," Sadie spoke up from behind after a few aimless minutes, her tone bitter, "but if we're looking for a source, maybe we should choose a strand and try following it?"

_Everyone, mark this moment on your calendars,_ Edna told her companions: _Sadie Halloway just made her first useful contribution as a Squire. Yes, that would make more sense than wandering around the village hoping to stumble across something._

_You're always so harsh, Edna,_ Zaveid teased as Eizen nodded in agreement and started following a single rope through some trees. _Can't you just once tell someone they did well without making it sound like an insult? Hell, even Velvet praised her companions for their contributions when she was the Lord of Calamity._

_That's according to the woman herself, and the guy who married her,_ Edna pointed out. _We have no idea what she was really like back in the day._

_No…your brother mentioned it once or twice, too,_ Zaveid told her.

_Why are we having this conversation?_ Edna snapped, indignant at the mention of her older brother.

_Because we could have been wandering all night without Sadie's advice, and you managed to find a way to attack her for it._

_You don't know what an attack is, dummy._

"Stop!" Eizen shouted, planting his boots firmly. "Please, guys, stop arguing with each other while we're trying to focus. I could need your powers any minute."

_There's nothing stopping you from using them if you need to,_ Edna pointed out, but she knew what the real reason was: behind them, Sadie was stumbling over tree roots and weeds, muttering to herself, too quietly for Eizen's ears - and therefore Edna's - to hear just then. Shielding her thoughts from the Squire and Prime Lord for a moment, Edna added, _She's going to have to learn to deal with it eventually, baby brother._

_I know,_ he replied privately, _but you've pushed her more than enough for one day. Any more is too much, too soon. Can you and uncle Zaveid at least agree to a truce until tomorrow?_

_Whatever…_ Opening her thoughts to Zaveid, she relayed the message, and he accepted.

Around a few more trees, they at last were met with the sight of what they were looking for: a thick, pulsating blob of darkness. It didn't have any sort of animal face, like the clots Sorey had had to burn away, Edna noted, but with all the slimy webs coming out of it, it was clearly either a source or something the malevolence was trying to feed. Bracing himself, Eizen drew on the power of his Prime Lord and swept through the glob, trailing white fire in his wake; behind him, there was an unearthly shriek, and as he turned, he saw the source dissipate, followed by all the strands that had been attached to it as the flames of purification ate along their lengths.

"That's more like it!" Eizen grinned.

Edna smiled within him. _It really gets the job done, that spinny mist thing,_ she remarked, the comment aimed at Zaveid but audible to everyone else.

_Oh yeah, I can get the job done, baby,_ he boasted.

Rolling her eyes, Edna sighed. _Well, it's a more interesting response than Dezel gave, at least._

_Huh? Dezel?_

_I said the same thing to him while we were taking the Wind Trial five hundred years ago,_ Edna began.

"Guys." At first, Edna thought Eizen was trying to break up a fight, but as she expanded her awareness, she saw that even though the source had been burned away and all the strands attached to it were gone, there was still a fair amount of black webbing surrounding them, if not as much.

_More than one source,_ she told Eizen. _Pick another strand and follow it._

Night had fallen by the time they reached and burned away the next source, and there were clearly still more to destroy. Luckily, the village was relatively small, and Sadie happened to catch sight of a source other than the one they tracked next on the way. It became easier and easier to guess what direction to go the more sources were purified, until it seemed like every single rope in the town was coming from one, specific, distant location.

_Ugh,_ Edna thought as they followed the almost-clear path up a hill, no longer hindered by blockades of black webbing. _Not this place again._

"What's up here?" Eizen asked Edna as she and Zaveid emerged to walk alongside the Shepherd and his Squire.

"It used to be a museum," Edna explained. "It had just been abandoned when Sorey came through here. People tried to fix it back up, I think, but by then it had a reputation for being haunted."

"Haunted?" Eizen repeated, surprised.

"Mostly by hellions," Edna told him, "plus a normin or two who liked to play around. It wouldn't have worked in recent years, now that everyone can see hellions and seraphim, but the Ages before you were born were a different time. In any case, I think it's in ruins now."

As they crested the hill and reached the crumbled remains of a stone wall, Edna's prediction turned out to be true: nothing remained of the building but a few rotten timbers and fallen slabs of cement. Above the remains, however, there was a massive, pulsating, writhing clot of malevolence.

"I don't think this one can be destroyed with Silver Wind," Zaveid remarked, taking a defensive stance.

"Agreed," Edna concurred, readying her umbrella.

The gross thing twisted around, like a maggot turning to look at a piece of food, its many long strands suspending it in the air. This wasn't just a clot; it was a hellion of some sort, one made purely of malevolence itself. Not only that, but in addition to all the webs it had cast over the area, it managed to produce new tendrils, which it used to whip at the Shepherd and his allies.

Even though the dark worm was a massive target and couldn't move, it proved quite daunting, its malleable body twisting away from physical blows and pounding the surroundings with its tentacles. After a few hits, Eizen armatized with Zaveid and started blasting the thing with seraphic artes, though this was hard to do when the monster kept knocking him over while he tried to charge them. Sadie was faring very poorly, and Edna jogged around the battlefield over to her, blocking an oncoming attack with her umbrella.

"You can armatize too, you know," she told the Squire.

"I don't know how!" Sadie exclaimed as the blob turned its attention to Eizen and Zaveid for the moment.

"Speak an allied seraph's true name with deliberation and intent," Edna instructed. She hesitated, unhappy about baring something so personal to such a bigoted human, then told her, "Zaveid's true name is Fylk Zahdeya, and my true name is Hephsin Yulind. Use mine now, and do something useful for once."

"A-As you wish, Lady Edna!" Sadie stammered. Frowning in concentration, she declared, "Hephsin Yulind!"

Armatizing with a human she actively disliked was new for Edna. The process itself was normal, her semi-corporeal essence merging with the human's flesh and life force to form something more powerful than either individual, but once the merge was finished, she felt disjointed, not quite trusting Sadie to wield her power effectively. When Sadie stared at her armatized hands, and the giant's arms that moved in accord with her own, Edna felt that she physically had to shake the girl out of a trance.

_You don't have time to gawk,_ she told her. _There's a battle going on. Or do you want me to do it for you?_

_Lady Edna, I…Forgive me,_ Sadie managed, and she clenched her fists. _You're right. Let us destroy this beast together._

Sadie ran forward and punched the squirming blob of malevolence with Edna's power, and Edna let her. Merged with Sadie, one thing about the girl was very clear to Edna: she was committed to fighting hellions. Almost…unsettlingly so; the determination with which she attacked didn't seem normal to Edna's passive eyes.

With two armatized humans attacking it from different directions, the creature, though versatile, proved unable to focus on both, equally-strong threats, and the tide of battle turned. Though Sadie could have been more of a team player - Edna couldn't help thinking that Sorey and Rose would have worked to keep the thing distracted from each other, striking in turn so that no one got hurt, while Sadie just attacked with no thought for her Shepherd - the combined effort was effective enough. At last, the slimy creature screamed, writhed, withered, and burned away, leaving the Shepherd's team victorious.

As Eizen de-armatized, and Edna tried to separate herself from Sadie, the strands of malevolence that had led them here also burned away, revealing that this really was the last source of the sticky webs. When Sadie finally severed the bond and Edna was herself again, there was no trace of the black ropes that had obstructed the village.

"Not bad," Edna told Sadie passively. "You're competent, I guess."

"Thank you, Lady Edna," Sadie told her; "it was an honor to fight with you."

Edna rolled her eyes.

"Looks like our job here is done," Eizen remarked, walking over to his Squire. "Marlind should be okay, at least for now. Let's get some rest at the inn, then head for Rolance in the morning."

Though Sadie didn't verbally agree, she nodded instead of snapping at Eizen and calling him 'hellion-spawn', which Edna hoped was progress. They headed back down the path from to ruins of the museum, and Edna thought about what they'd found here.

"…Zaveid," she muttered eventually.

"Yeah?" The wind seraph hadn't retreated to rest inside Eizen, and he stepped sideways as they walked to match her pace.

"Have you ever seen malevolence manifest into its own physical forms like this anywhere besides here?" she asked him.

"Hmm…" he mused. "Now that you mention it, no. Have you?"

"Like I said, something similar happened in this town during Sorey's quest, but I've never seen malevolence clot together on its own like this anywhere else in the world," Edna replied. "But then, I don't travel much. I figured you would know better than me."

"No, I haven't seen anything like this anywhere else," Zaveid said; when Edna glanced at him, she saw that he was frowning in what looked like serious concentration. "Strange…Why would such a phenomenon be exclusive to this area?"

"Those are some big words," Edna remarked drily. "You sound like Mikleo."

"Hey, I'm not just a pretty face," Zaveid smirked, the moment gone. "Although, it might be hard for me to stay so eloquent when I've got two lovely ladies keeping me company every day…"

"Quit it," Edna told him. "You're upsetting the Squire."

This was mostly just an excuse to jab at Zaveid, but it wasn't untrue; beside them, Sadie's face had gone red, and she was in danger of tripping as she stared at Zaveid with wide eyes.

"Sadie," Eizen murmured to her.

"Huh?" She turned, still blushing.

"You'll have to excuse Zaveid, he's…like that," Eizen said apologetically.

"Like _what_?" Sadie's voice came out a squeak, and the four of them came to a stop just before reaching the village proper.

"Well…um…" Eizen frowned, clearly trying to find words that wouldn't upset the human girl too much. "He's…uh…How do I put this?…um…"

"A gross pervert?" Edna supplied at last.

"Well, I mean," Eizen said quickly, "I was going to say…um…Hmm…"

"A gross pervert?" Edna repeated.

Resignedly, Eizen laughed. "I guess there really aren't any better words for him, huh?" he admitted.

"What the hell?!" Zaveid exclaimed. "You two are ganging up on me now?! What is this?!"

"Aw, you know we love you anyway, uncle," Eizen teased, clapping the wind seraph's shoulder.

"I would _like_ to hear that from Edna herself," Zaveid said pointedly, aiming a nasty grin at Edna.

"In your dreams," she said dully.

Zaveid winced slightly, and she felt bad for a moment, remembering what dreams actually meant for him. Then he recovered and grinned at her. "Many times," he smirked.

Edna opened her mouth to retaliate, but was cut off by a wordless cry from Sadie. Turning, Edna saw that the golden-haired girl had clasped her hands over her ears, screwed her eyes shut, and was now shaking her head manically.

"No, no, no no no no _no_," she murmured to herself. "I am not seeing this, I am not hearing this. I am not seeing this, I am not hearing this, I am not seeing this, I am not hearing this, I am not seeing this I am not hearing this I am not…"

As she continued her frantic self-talk, Eizen sighed. "I tried to tell you," he remarked to his seraphim. "It's all too much, too soon. We need to go easier on her."

A feeling Edna hadn't felt in a long time blossomed in her gut: pure and utter disgust. "Humans," she growled. "They have so little time in this world, yet they're so weak and fragile; they take forever to learn anything, as if they have time to waste being stupid. I can't believe a few semi-decent ones made me forget how much I despise their race as a whole."

"Edna…" Eizen said softly, his golden eyes wide as he looked at her.

"You're okay, baby brother," Edna shrugged. "But I despise earth-dwellers on a fundamental level, and Sadie here is everything I hate about them."

Sadie's mumblings turned into nervous laughter, and she lifted her head. "Well, of course I didn't hear that!" she said with far too much enthusiasm. "The holy seraphim have no reason to…that is to say, they don't…they _can't_-"

"Well now hold on!" Zaveid exclaimed, any trace of amusement vanishing from his face as he stepped forward.

"Zaveid," Eizen began, putting a hand on Zaveid's arm, but incredibly, the Prime Lord shook him off.

"No," he said sternly. "We're clearing this up right now. Listen here," he said, glaring at Sadie. "Have no reason to? Sure, I'll allow for that - we aren't made of flesh, we don't breed, that's fair. But _can't_?! What the hell are they teaching you kids in school these days?!"

"Er…" Sadie's face, once red, had gone pale in the face of a seraph practically shouting at her.

"For seraphim, _the mind controls the body_," Zaveid growled. "What we believe about our bodies becomes the reality of our bodies. Anything humans can do, so can we - eat, sleep, bleed, drown, if we believe we can do it, then we can. Why shouldn't that apply to other things? In fact…" Appallingly, he actually reached to unbuckle the belt around his waist. "If you like, I'd be _more_ than happy to prove it to y-"

Snapping herself out of her horrified shock, Edna gripped her umbrella and stabbed Zaveid in the side, hard enough that he might need a gel to heal the injury, then stabbed him a few more times for good measure. "Too far," she told him coldly once he was curled up on the ground in pain.

"Yes, uncle, even for you, that was way over the line," Eizen agreed, making no attempt to help the wind seraph as Zaveid pushed himself to his feet, gripping the injuries Edna had left on him. "Please apologize."

"But-"

"_Apologize_," Edna commanded, glaring at him as wrathfully as she could.

"Alright, alright!" he exclaimed, holding up his hands. He turned to Sadie again and said, albeit begrudgingly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that was brash of me. But look, I'm trying to make a point here-"

"And why is it so important that this point be made?" Edna demanded.

Zaveid turned on her in what actually looked like surprise. "What, you expect me to just stand back and let this little bigot question my manhood?" he exclaimed.

Edna blinked at him, long and slow. "Seriously?" she asked, her voice flat. "That's what this is about? You said it yourself, we aren't made of flesh; why is this a point of pride for you?"

"Because it is!" he all but yelled.

"Look, it's late," Eizen began, "let's just-"

"_No_," Zaveid snapped, turning again to glare at Sadie, "we are not going anywhere until we clear this up. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Unsurprisingly, Sadie appeared to be frozen, though the complexion in her cheeks alternated between several different colors in quick succession, visible even in the moonlight.

"Why is this so hard to get?!" Zaveid demanded. "I've heard of seraphim doing way more unlikely things just because they believed they could!"

"Like what?" The question came from Eizen, and Edna stifled a sigh. _Why did you have to ask? I just want to go to bed…_

"Well, I once heard a story about a fire seraph who believed he'd die if he ever touched water," Zaveid replied, "since, y'know, water extinguishes fire. He lived in the desert to the west his whole life, avoided any moisture like the plague…He was a good guy, or so I hear, even Lord of the Land for a while. Then one day, a friend of his decided to help him understand that he was being silly about the whole thing, so she splashed him with a bit of water, and _poof!_, he winked right out of existence, just because he believed he would."

"Really?" Eizen asked, his golden eyes wide.

"Well, I wasn't there, I can't say for sure," Zaveid shrugged, "but I believe it. I've heard crazier. Like the story of this one seraph lady who believed she could get pregnant, so she did - for real, morning sickness, baby bump, she even went into labor. Then, while she gave birth, as the baby came out, it just evaporated into thin air, since it wasn't part of her body anymore."

No longer was Sadie the only one staring at Zaveid in mortified shock. Silence stretched for a few long moments before Edna composed herself enough to speak.

"That," she said, "is so incredibly messed up, in so many ways, I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"I won't argue with that," Zaveid conceded. "But the point here is, we can do whatever we believe we can do. So don't you go questioning my manhood again, you hear?" he added dangerously to Sadie, whom Edna was not entirely sure was even hearing a single word that was being said. "Or I swear I'll-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Edna stabbed him again, careful to hit the same spot that was already healing, hard enough to re-break the skin. Red trickled down his side, and she stepped back as Zaveid clasped a hand to the wound.

"Case in point," Edna said flatly: "seraphim bleed. Can we go now?"

Zaveid gave Edna one glance, then nodded as he gripped his wound tightly before withdrawing his hand to hold out to Sadie. "See?" he pressed. "I'm bleeding, because I believe I can. Now do you get it?"

That Sadie had any response to this at all was almost as shocking to Edna as some of the things Zaveid had said: the girl reached out a shaking hand and touched the red splotch on Zaveid's outstretched palm with her fingertips. Bringing her hand to her face, she rubbed the liquid between her fingers once, all her focus on the dark smear. In her eyes, Edna thought she could see the complete devastation of someone who was desperately trying and miserably failing not to face proof that everything they had once believed was a lie.

"I…I'm sorry for offending you, Lord Zaveid," she eventually managed to croak. "I will…I will avoid causing such offense in the future."

"Good enough for me." Zaveid shrugged and disappeared to rest within Eizen. Exhausted, Edna followed suit, not envying the humans who still had to walk to the inn.

"Sadie," Eizen said at last, "we…we've all had a long day, alright? Let's go to the inn and get some sleep."

When he put a hand on her arm to guide her along the path, the fact that she didn't resist was almost enough to make Edna worry.

~o~

The innkeeper was startled by their late-night knock, and even more so by the fact that the village was suddenly clear of the webs of malevolence that had choked it for so long. He tried to insist that they stay the night for free, but Eizen was adamant about paying for their rooms and some food.

"Just because I'm the Shepherd doesn't mean people didn't spend time and resources making this food and cleaning these rooms," he said, "and they have a right to be paid for their work."

Sadie didn't protest, but Edna had a feeling the girl was just in too much shock.

When at last they went to bed, Eizen shared a room with Zaveid, and Edna shared one with Sadie. Exhausted though she was, Edna watched the Squire as Sadie collapsed onto her cot and almost instantly fell asleep, mulling over her contempt for humans like this one as she drifted off herself.

_I can't believe it took this long for me to meet a human who reminded me of why I hate them so much,_ she thought. _Still…I can't say she's not taking it well, all things considered. Maybe she'll be more tolerable tomorrow._

Day came, and Edna let Sadie sleep as long as possible before the boys were ready to go and she had to rouse the sleeping human with a few prods of her umbrella. A short time later, they were stepping outside, to a sunlit Marlind with streets clear of malevolent cobwebs. But the moment Eizen set foot over the threshold of the inn, Edna emerged in alarm.

"You feel that?" she asked Eizen, who had stopped when she manifested.

"Feel what?" he asked.

"Pay attention for a minute, baby brother," she hissed. "Not everything you have to worry about is right in front of you."

Eizen frowned, and Zaveid emerged as well. "I feel it too," the wind seraph informed Edna gravely. "You're not imagining it."

"I didn't think I was," Edna sniffed, though his support did come as a relief for some reason.

"I…I think I know what you mean," Sadie spoke up. "The webs are gone, but…"

"But there's still malevolence here," Eizen finished. "A lot of it."

"Didn't that guy yesterday say that the Lord of the Land was sick?" Edna asked. "He must still be, if there's still malevolence here."

"We should check on him," Zaveid stated abruptly. "This way."

With that, the Prime Lord took the lead, a bewildered Shepherd and Squire behind him, though Edna followed readily. The path through the village to the old museum crossed a clearing in front of the tree that housed the local Lord of the Land, one massive root of which was poked right into the middle of the space, covered with patches of flowers…flowers, Edna noticed as they approached, that seemed very withered.

"Hey, Isan!" Zaveid called, approaching the massive root, and he reached over and knocked against the bark. "It's your buddy Zaveid, come on out!"

A light emerged and manifested as a seraph with short, black-tipped, ruby-red hair and a robe patterned with red flames.* Edna blinked; the last she'd heard, the local Lord of the Land had been an earth seraph named Rohan, but there had evidently been a transition of power in the last five hundred years. Where Rohan had been stern-faced and hook-nosed, almost middle-aged in appearance, this fire seraph looked about as physically young as Zaveid did; while Zaveid was all tanned muscles and rugged masculinity, however, this new Lord of the Land was fair and slender, with delicate, almost princely features - not quite effeminate, but still much more pretty than handsome.

The moment the fire seraph took form, he fell to his knees, even as he looked up at the wind seraph who had called on him with amber eyes. "Zaveid," he all but rasped, his voice as gentle and delicate as his face. "It's good to see you, my friend."

"You two know each other?" Edna asked, surprised.

"Yup," Zaveid replied, "ever since I set out to get a World Tree Leaf for Cellie."

"Huh?"

"Hello?" Zaveid gestured at the massive tree. "World Tree? Do you need a map?"

An alarmed gasp drew Edna's attention to Eizen, whose golden eyes were the size of teacups as he looked up and up and up, his jaw slack.

"What?" Edna asked him. "Did you not notice the massive tree right in front of you until just now?"

"I…I thought this root was the tree," Eizen admitted, "and I thought it was big even then. This is…"

"Yes, it's a very big tree," Edna said tonelessly. She turned on Zaveid and added, "It took you two years to obtain a World Tree Leaf. What were you doing all that time?"

"Well, it's not so simple," Zaveid explained, almost apologetically; "all World Tree Leaves come from this here tree, but not all the leaves on this tree are World Tree Leaves. It's a very rare, very valuable bud that unfurls into the kind of leaf that can be used for an Omega Elixir. So, I spent my time here, waiting just in case one grew, with Isan here helping me keep an eye out."

"Were you successful?" Isan asked Zaveid before Edna could make an exasperated comment. "The girl you were trying to save…how is she?"

"All cured!" Zaveid told him with a grin. "She runs around so fast you'd think she was a wind seraph herself now."

"Good," Isan sighed. "I am very glad to hear that."

"Now enough about me," Zaveid said, his smile fading; "what's going on with you? You don't look so good."

"I…There is nothing you can do, my friend," Isan said, shaking his head. "It is beyond your power."

"Guardian seraph Isan," Eizen said formally, taking a step forward, "please, whatever happened here, tell us. We burned away all the malevolence in the village last night, or so we thought; what did we miss?"

"Burned away…?" For the first time, Isan really seemed to register Eizen, with his Shepherd's cloak and marked glove. "You…are the Shepherd?"

"I am," Eizen nodded. "My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe; the child Zaveid was trying to save is my youngest sister. This is Sadie Halloway, my Squire, this is my Sub Lord, Edna, and you obviously know Zaveid, my Prime Lord-"

"Prime Lord?" Isan gasped, turning to Zaveid in shock.

"That's me!" Zaveid grinned. "The Prime Lord doesn't _have_ to be a fire seraph, you know, and since our last Prime Lord went and got turned into a dragon, someone had to take the job. Now, what was that you were saying about something being beyond my power?" He crossed his arms and smirked.

"Tell us what happened here," Eizen told Isan, not too forcefully. "Please. From the beginning."

"As you say," Isan sighed. "A little over a month ago, the Lord of Calamity came here, claiming to have slain the Shepherd of legend, Sorey - a statement later confirmed by messengers from Ladylake. She told us all that we had to stop resisting malevolence, that it was a cure for all of life's ailments and we would all live together in peace if only we embraced it. I tried to push her away, but the power she wielded…I have never seen such power, not in my thousand years of life. We were fortunate that she left us without destroying everything she saw, but…she did say something about the holy tree. She said that it was so big, and so pure, that it would take too long if she waited for our permission to corrupt it. She did something, left some curse that burrowed into the ground and began attacking the roots." He grimaced. "My vessel…is dying. Even now, the poison saps at the roots, deep within the earth, far beyond anyone's power. And I…I can do nothing…"

Zaveid cursed under his breath, and Eizen turned to Edna. "Can you do something, Edna?" he asked.

"Me?" Edna blinked. "Why me?"

"If it's that deep within the ground…well, you're an earth seraph," Eizen shrugged. "If anyone can reach this curse, you can."

Edna sighed heavily. "I can try, I guess," she conceded. "At the very least, I can assess the situation."

Closing her eyes, Edna deliberately planted the point of her umbrella on the ground in front of her and rested her hands on it. Seraphim usually tried to live normal lives, but she had had more experience than most communing with her element; she drew on it now, reaching into the earth that was her home, her kin, her flesh. There was the earthpulse, of course, which converged under the great tree in an earthpulse point, but her focus was on the physical.

Roots reached down, down, down into the ground, spreading so far that Edna wondered how much of the world was unknowingly covering their farthest reaches. For a good ways down, as well, there was nothing - the roots were healthy, the soil was pure. But then…

She gasped as she reached the level the malevolence had burrowed into. Hundreds of thousands of globs of malevolence, just like the one she had helped destroy the previous night, squirmed and gnawed at the roots. They were shockingly widespread; not a single root wasn't covered in the gross creatures.

"I see them," she whispered, her eyes opening even as she still saw what lurked far below. "The blight. There are so many…"

"Can you do anything?" Eizen's voice sounded distant but clear.

Turning her face in the direction of her Prime Lord, Edna lifted one hand and held it out. "Zaveid, give me your hand," she told him. "I need the flames of purification."

Though her double-vision, Edna expected to see a glimpse of Zaveid smirking, hear him make some sort of snide comment, but she must have conveyed the situation effectively, because he restrained himself. Instead, he nodded once, lit a white ember in his hand, and clasped her outstretched palm, pressing the little silver flame against her skin.

Power flooded through her, and she focused it into the earth, asking the land to take it and pass it on down. What humans didn't understand was that all things came from mana; what was perceived as barren of power was only ever dormant, and Edna called on the sleeping power within every rock, every grain of dirt, every layer of soil to channel her energy, her will. Down, down, down she reached…and the closer she got to the roots, the more the scope of the mess became apparent. By the time she reached one single glob of malevolence to burn away, a monstrosity the size of a small house, she was already despairing. Destroying it wasn't too difficult in and of itself: the earth sang with the power she lent it, and the creature shrieked, withered, and dissipated; but the sheer _number_ of the things made destroying them all seem like an impossible task. _It would take at least a month of sustaining this to even make a difference,_ she thought.

Suddenly, a memory arose at the back of her mind, a memory of Mikleo musing about an unbreakable seal, a distant memory that was suddenly so clear, she couldn't be sure she wasn't accidentally accessing the Earthen Historia:

_"…earth, water, wind, and fire. Since they form a cyclical relationship, if all four could be forcibly concentrated together in one spot…they would form a loop that would churn out tremendous amounts of mana."_

_A Mana Wheel,_ Edna thought. _No…No, we don't have the means to make a Mana Wheel, but…maybe a Mana _Chain_. We have the elements we need: Zaveid is wind, I'm earth, there's water mana in my umbrella, and Isan is a fire seraph…all we have to do is…_

"Isan," she gasped. "Take Zaveid's other hand. Now."

"Why-?"

"Just do it!" she snapped, still channeling white fire into the depths of the land.

Isan struggled to his feet and stumbled over to where Zaveid was granting Edna his power. Zaveid reached out to him, and they clasped hands.

Something shifted. Focusing, Edna channeled the elements together, and instead of directing them at the malevolence attacking the tree, she pushed the energy into the tree itself, the tree that was Isan's vessel. _Take it,_ she told the tree. _Take this power, and send it to the one who lives within you._

The tree responded, soaking up the energy and then passing it back into Isan. She heard the fire seraph gasp, then Zaveid as it passed to him, and then it hit her: power, the same power she'd sent but multiplied by four.

With the loop established, Edna only had to hold on, as mana flowed through her umbrella into the earth, then to the tree, then back to Isan, then to Zaveid, then her, through her umbrella and into the earth, into the tree again…Quickly, the power built, and Edna focused all her energy on keeping control of it. Once there was enough, she tried to slow down its flow. This was far harder than simply maintaining it, but so long as she wasn't trying to hold it in place, it wasn't impossible. _Stay in the tree,_ she tried to tell it. _Burn away the darkness attacking it. Then continue through the loop again, and come back stronger._

Power flowed, washing through the tree before returning to Isan. With the first pass of this, the black worms squirmed; at the next surge, they screamed, audible only to Edna as she communed with the earth; then they began to shrivel, then burst like gross bubbles. Once they'd all popped, Edna tried to keep the power in the earth around the tree, urging it to cleanse the stains in the dirt.

At last, there was no more blight. But this presented a new problem: the power wanted to keep flowing, continue in its circular motion, and Edna needed it to stop. After assessing it for a minute, she surmised that there was only one thing she could do: she waited for the power to be in the earth, heading for the tree, then forcibly threw her umbrella to the side, breaking the loop.

What felt like a wall made of pure energy smacked into her, throwing her back several feet; she couldn't withhold a cry as she was tossed against the ground, though she couldn't hear herself. She lay there, her ears ringing, her whole body screaming with pain; voices called her name, but they sounded distant and muffled, as though she was underwater.

The pain sharpened as someone touched, first her arm, then her head. She wanted to tell them not to, beg them not to, it hurt too much, but she couldn't form the words as she was propped up against something. Then, a solid object was pressed against her mouth, liquid trickling down her throat, and after a moment, she recognized it: a life bottle, the step-down, man-made version of the all-curing elixir made by Maotelus, vastly inferior to the Great Lord's medicine in every way but effective enough to bring her vision into focus.

"Edna?" Eizen's worried expression swam in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine," she groaned.

Not fooled, Eizen reached to his pouch and pulled out a red blob that he shoved into her mouth. She chewed three times, then swallowed the apple gel, a little strength flowing through her limbs. When Eizen fed her a second and third gel, she ate them too, the pain easing until she was merely sore.

"Thanks," she mumbled at last, pushing herself unsteadily into a sitting position. "I'm okay now. Just…really tired."

"You did it." She looked up to see Isan staring at her with wonder, and it didn't escape her that he was now standing upright, no longer weak or exhausted-looking. "I don't know what you did, but…the curse is gone. You carry power far beyond your years, Edna."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she grumbled. "I'm older than Maotelus." Standing up was almost impossible for her, but someone put her umbrella in her hand, and she leaned on it as she got to her feet.

"Oh." Isan blinked in surprise. "Well, I…I think even Zenrus would have had difficulty accomplishing such a feat."

"I didn't do it alone," Edna shrugged.

"What the hell _did_ you do?" Zaveid asked her. "I know I was part of it somehow…"

"I made a Mana Wheel," Edna replied. "Well…more like a Mana Chain. A Mana Conveyor Belt. You can thank Mikleo for it; he may be as good as dead, but his nerdiness lives on. With your wind, my earth, the water in my umbrella, and Isan's fire, I was able to make a loop of energy that generated enough power to burn all the malevolence away. We would have been here for ages otherwise, and we don't have that kind of time."

"So it wasn't just power, but ingenuity as well," Isan breathed. "Lady Edna…I…I don't even know what to say. I can never thank you enough for what you've done. I will spend the rest of my life indebted to you."

"If you owe us a favor, there is something you can do for us," Edna remarked, already feeling steadier.

"Oh?"

"In case you haven't noticed, we're short a fire seraph," she told him. "We need one if we're going to get the full power of the Shepherd and fight off the Lord of Calamity. You'll do."

"Me? No, no, Lady Edna, I wouldn't be of any help to you," Isan said, shaking his head emphatically. "I am no fighter, and…and I don't have even a fraction of the power needed to fight this Lord of Calamity. I would be nothing but a liability to you. For the sake of your safety, I must decline, and remain here."

"Useless," Edna scoffed. "Everyone's so scared of this girl - most of the seraphim in the world are cowering in Elysia."

"I am sorry," Isan repeated, "but I cannot fight this beast. I have seen the power she wields; it is far, far beyond me. Surely you can find someone who will serve you better than I would."

"She's not _that_ big and bad," Edna told him. "The girl who became this Lord of Calamity is only thirteen years old."

"Thirteen…? No," he insisted, shaking his head again, "you must be mistaken."

"I'm not," Edna stated. "I know her well. Her name is Niko."

"Forgive me, Lady Edna, but this Niko cannot be the source of the power that nearly destroyed the holy tree," Isan said. "There is a greater force at work here, something truly ancient."

"Would fifteen hundred years old be ancient enough?" Zaveid questioned.

"Perhaps," Isan replied slowly, "but…I don't think so. It feels…older than that. Much older. In any case, the one you believe you are fighting is merely a pawn in a bigger game, I know this for a fact, as well as I know that I cannot stand up to what you are facing. You will do better without me."

"Whatever," Edna sighed. "At least try to keep Niko from pulling anything while we take the Shepherd's trials, okay?"

"I will do everything in my power to resist her," Isan avowed. "She took me by surprise last time, but this land is under my protection; I won't fail again."

Exhausted, Edna turned to return to Eizen and rest.

"Lady Edna."

The sigh stopped Edna short, and she turned back to face Isan, whose gazed was fixed intently on her.

"Please, do be careful," he told her. "You wield tremendous power, and if anyone can stop this menace, it's you, but…well, I will pray for your safety. It is the least I can do."

And without any warning, he walked up to her, took her ungloved hand, and raised it to his lips.

Edna felt her cheeks flush, and from behind her, Eizen chuckled. "I think he likes you, big sis," the Shepherd teased.

"Hmm." She tilted her head, trying to fight down the heat rising in her face. Everything about Isan was entirely the opposite of Zaveid, from his build to his manner, and though she'd never really gone for pretty boys, Edna decided she could deal with his delicateness given its contrast to the pervert who wouldn't leave her alone to this day. "At last, a man with some taste," she remarked. "A proper gentleman too." Proud of herself for keeping her voice expressionless, she allowed herself a small smile. "Maybe once this is all over and the world is safe from the Lord of Calamity, I'll come back and visit you. If you offered to take me out to dinner, I wouldn't say no."

It was Isan's turn to blush, deeply, but he bowed his head. "It would be my honor, Lady Edna," he told her.

"Hold on a minute!" Zaveid exclaimed, stepping forward. "I saw her first! What happened to the men's code of honor? I have dibs!"

Not even turning, Edna jabbed him with her umbrella. "Seriously?" she asked. "Dibs? No one has dibs on me. I am a lady, and I can be with whomever I choose. Of course," she added sarcastically, "centuries of me rejecting you is definitely proof that I'm somehow your property."

Zaveid growled, and Isan looked between the two of them in confusion.

"Don't mind him," Edna told Isan, favoring him with another smile. "He doesn't know when to quit. He has no claim on me."

"I…I see," Isan managed. He cleared his throat, then bowed to them. "Be well on your way, all of you, I wish you all the luck in the world. You will need it."

And with that ominous declaration, the Lord of the Land returned to his vessel.

Silence stretched across the clearing for a long minute, and then Eizen took a deep breath. "Well," he sighed, "I'm glad we were able to help the rest of Hyland. But we can't stay here any longer."

"Indeed," Edna agreed, "we have all of Rolance to worry about, as well as the trials. Let's go."

Not waiting for permission, Edna retreated to her place within her vessel and shut the external world out as Eizen started walking, glad to rest. When Zaveid took his own spot not far from her, she could feel him radiating with grumpiness and jealousy.

_He's going to sulk about this for days,_ she thought. And she smiled to herself.

* * *

***Originally, I was using Rohan, the Lord of the Land in Zestiria, for this story; the change to an OC is entirely retroactive, the original readers of this fic are used to Rohan. The trouble was, in order for this story to work, the Lord of the Land in Marlind needed to be a fire seraph, and though I originally just changed things so that Rohan was a fire seraph (which admittedly came about because I misunderstood his design at first), an OC works much better. Apologies to anyone who came back to reread this story after seeing the original version (or who saw any reviews that contained any mention of Rohan) and will have to adjust; rest assured that no important story points are changed by the character being an OC instead of Rohan. Also, credit goes to penname "alphawolf2196" for the name of the OC in question.**


	9. Amid All This Terror

Outside the walls of Marlind, hellions abounded, almost more than there had been during Niko's speech the previous day. _Finally, something I can actually handle myself,_ Eizen thought as he charged into battle. Somehow, he got the sense that Sadie felt similarly. Being the Shepherd was already nothing like what he'd expected; so far, his seraphim had done most of the work, and he felt more like a figurehead. But now, Edna was too tired to join in the fights, and Zaveid was too grumpy to speak except to declare his attacks; Isan's warning hung heavy on Eizen's shoulders, but with his katana in hand, smiting malevolent creatures and returning them to their true forms, he felt as if he had some amount of control.

They made their way south, slowly, quelling anything they found. As they passed by a fork in the road, Sadie spoke up for the first time in a long while.

"What's that way?" she asked, gesturing to the east path.

_The Bors Ruins,_ came Edna's answer. _There's a secret path into Rolance through there, but there's no reason for us to not cross the official border. We have no need to go that way right now, even for training - there will be plenty of hellions in Glaivend Basin._

"What kinds?" Eizen asked her.

_Spirits of dead soldiers, walking suits of armor, that sort of thing,_ she replied. _Battlefields are breeding grounds for malevolence and restless souls, and a lot of battles have been waged in there. I'm sure Niko found plenty to corrupt._

"But those battles are centuries old at the earliest," Sadie said as they approached the border.

_That doesn't matter; the resentment lingers,_ Edna told her. _Malevolence doesn't fade on its own, and will always be eager to grow when given a chance._

With this ominous declaration, Eizen approached the knights who stood in a solid wall between the southern hills and Glaivend Basin.

"Who are you?" asked one knight gruffly. "What do you want?"

"My name is Eizen; I am the Shepherd," Eizen replied, keeping his voice neutral. "This is Sadie, my Squire. We have fought off most of the malevolence here in Hyland, and now we need to lend our Rolance neighbors aid. Please let us pass."

"The Shepherd, huh?" glowered another. "The hellion-spawn, you mean?"

"Yes," Eizen sighed, "my parents were hellions for centuries. The Lord of Calamity we stand against is my sister. What difference does that make? I am the Shepherd now, and I have a duty to perform."

"If you won't listen to him, listen to me," Zaveid said, emerging to stand before the guards. "I'm the Prime Lord. Let us through."

No one moved.

"Why wouldn't you let us pass?" Zaveid asked them. "It's not like we're about to defect to Rolance, our nations are at peace. We have battles to fight…battles you can't fight yourselves. That's our job; let us do it."

"If they want to go in there, that's their choice," one of the knights remarked to another, and he broke formation to stand aside. Others followed suit, leaving enough room for Eizen and Sadie to pass, but Eizen stood where he was.

"What's going on?" he asked the knight who had been the first to move. "What's so dangerous that we wouldn't want to pass through? Has there been word from Rolance?"

"There's been word," the knight replied, "rarely, from their sentries. Anyone we've sent to verify what we've heard hasn't come back, though, so we don't know for sure what's really happening in the Rolance Empire."

"I see," Eizen said slowly. "Well, we have to go that way no matter what. Thank you for the warning."

_It was a warning they could easily have given us without being asked,_ Edna pointed out as they made their way past the line of guards into the neutral zone between the two nations.

_Yes, but at least he answered when I did ask,_ Eizen responded.

As his boots began to crunch through the sand of the barren wasteland, he found himself wondering if maybe, just maybe, he'd be better-received in Rolance. Did the people there know he was hellion-spawn? Would they care? If there was some monster that was keeping Hyland sentries from returning, maybe the people of the Rolance Empire would be too grateful to him for quelling it to judge him for his blood. That would certainly be nice…

Once the last trace of green was far behind them, nothing but sand and lifeless dirt all around, hellions started appearing - undead and walking armor, like Edna had predicted. Glaivend Basin was a lot bigger than Eizen had thought, and a lot harder to navigate too, but Zaveid knew which ways to go, and he spoke up whenever Eizen started to get turned around.

The journey took a few hours, slowed by the hordes of hellions that wandered around in here. Despite the clear skies, the entire area had a somber feel, not quite a malevolent domain but unsettling nonetheless. There were no incidents, however, and by midafternoon, Eizen could see greenery on the horizon.

_Wait._

Eizen and Sadie stopped as Zaveid emerged to confront them.

"I don't think we should go much further until morning," he said.

"Why not?"

"If there's a chance things are gonna be, let's say, not exactly pleasant in Rolance, I don't want us charging in there after dark," Zaveid answered Eizen's question. "I'd rather we rest and wait until daylight. If something nasty's waiting for us, at least it won't be able to hide as easily."

"Something nasty like what, Lord Zaveid?" Sadie questioned.

"I don't know, but it's good to be prepared," Zaveid stated. "We're this world's only hope and all that. And if no one from Hyland has come back since this mess started, we need to be on our guard."

Eizen considered this. "But…where are we going to stay?" he asked. "We can't just lie down out in the open, not with all the hellions wandering around out here."

_I can help with that,_ Edna spoke up. _Get in a corner and armatize with me, I'll do the rest._

"Do we have tents?" Sadie asked. "Sleeping bags? Something for a fire? Anything that might make for a suitable camp?"

"No," Eizen admitted. "I…I didn't think of that."

"Of course you didn't," she scowled. "What more could I expect of hellion-spawn? You've probably never slept in a bed in your life."

"Sadie…" Eizen shook his head, tired of her prejudice. "Of course I've slept in a bed. I'm used to having a room, I guess to the point where I took it for granted; that's why it didn't occur to me to get that kind of supplies."

_You didn't think of it either,_ Edna added to Sadie.

"Can we continue this conversation once we have some shelter?" Zaveid asked. He kept glancing around uneasily, as though expecting something other than run-of-the-mill hellions to attack them.

"It's not like you to be so jumpy, Zaveid," Eizen remarked, frowning. "What's gotten into you?"

"_Obviously_, Lord Zaveid has read the wind and detected something dangerous up ahead," Sadie huffed. "Everyone knows wind seraphim can sense things far out of sight."

"It's true that we can, but I can't see quite that far, I have a range," Zaveid informed her. "To answer your question, Eizen…" He sighed and shook his head. "Just think for a minute. What exactly is it that Niko wants?"

"She…wants a world full of malevolence," Eizen answered, surprised.

"Yeah, but how does she want to go about doing that?" Zaveid pressed. "Does she want to just force it on everything, or does she want people to follow her willingly?"

"Follow her willingly," Eizen replied.

"Exactly. Now, think about what that knight said," Zaveid went on: "No one from Hyland who's gone across the border has ever come back, and the only news we get is what their sentries tell us. Why do you think that might be?"

Understanding dawned on Eizen, dark and cold. "You think the Rolance Empire already serves her," he breathed.

"I think it's a possibility that we have to be prepared for," Zaveid stated. "Now, I can read the wind, the dark doesn't make much difference to me, but I can't be the eyes for both of you at once…and not everything that's dangerous can be seen by the wind. Across this wasteland might be enemy territory, and for you, it's _foreign_ territory; the people of Rolance will have a massive advantage over you there, with or without me. Given all that, is it really wise to approach the other side of the border just before nightfall?"

"No…you're right," Eizen agreed. "We'll wait until morning."

_An actually intelligent and well-thought-out battle strategy,_ Edna remarked to Zaveid as Eizen headed for a corner between two cliffs. _I'm impressed. Maybe you aren't such a worthless Prime Lord after all._

"Ouch," Zaveid chuckled. "Always with the backhanded compliments, Edna."

"We still don't have the makings for a proper camp," Sadie pointed out.

"I know," Eizen sighed, quickly armatizing with Edna, "and I'm sorry. We'll have to rough it for the night."

When Sadie approached Eizen, presumably to say something spiteful, he followed his big sister's guidance and planted one giant hand on the ground, summoning the earth into stone walls that rose up and curved around them, making a roughly domed shelter with a hole in the top that encapsulated both the Shepherd and his Squire, as well as his seraphim.

"Nice going," Zaveid commented as Eizen de-armatized and Edna took her place within him again. "Nothing should be able to get us in here." And he vanished to rest in his own spot in Eizen's chest.

For a long minute, the two humans stood in the enclosed space. Sadie folded her arms and glared around at the rough walls of their shelter, the sandy floor with nothing on it but the occasional rock. When it became clear that Zaveid's praise was enough to keep Sadie quiet, Eizen sat down cross-legged and took out his katana, inspecting the blade in the shaft of sunlight still pouring into the hut. It was remarkable how fresh and undamaged it looked, considering he'd been swinging it at hellions for days now; still, his bouts with David and Sadie had left a few dings, and he took out a whetstone, a bottle of clove oil, and a piece of wool, and began tending his weapon, wincing at how angry his father would be if he knew Eizen had gone so long without sharpening the sword.

Then he remembered that his father was a hellion, and that line of thinking ended.

The sound of stone against blade scraped through their shelter, but at least the walls didn't echo too well. Eventually, Sadie sat down as well, stiffly, watching him with almost wary eyes.

"You need to sharpen your ax?" he asked her. "The flames of purification should have protected it from battle damage, but you can never be too careful with a weapon."

"Don't patronize me, hellion-spawn!" Sadie snapped. "I'm perfectly capable of tending my own weapon!"

This, Eizen decided, was going to be a very long journey.

When the light coming from above grew too weak for him to examine his blade any longer, he rubbed it down with clove oil and wool, then put away his blade and supplies and took out a few rations he'd had the foresight to buy.

"You hungry?" he asked Sadie, holding out a paper-wrapped sandwich. "I got enough for both of us."

"I don't want food from you," she sneered.

_How stupid could you possibly be?_ Edna asked. _We seraphim may not need to eat, but you humans don't have that luxury; if you don't eat now, you'll feel weak tomorrow, and the battles are only going to get worse from here on out. You're really going to turn down a meal just because Eizen brought it?_

"I don't know where it came from," Sadie glowered. "For all I know, his mother made it."

Eizen laughed. "I wish," he said, setting down Sadie's sandwich in front of him just in case she changed her mind. "My mom makes much better food than this."

"By whose standards?" Sadie countered.

_By _my_ standards,_ Edna stated.

"And mine!" Zaveid added, emerging again and grinning. "I've been around the world, but I've never tasted food half as good as what Eizen's mother makes. I swear her quiches are made of ambrosia straight from the Heavenly Realm."

Sadie pondered this for half a moment, then scowled, though she was clearly careful to aim the expression at Eizen. "For seraphim, the mind controls the body, right?" she said. "I'm sure the food you eat tastes however you want it to."

A stunned silence resonated from within Eizen's chest, a feeling not his own.

"Huh_,"_ Zaveid finally remarked. "I never thought of that."

_Me either,_ Edna concurred.

"But…I'm pretty sure that if we don't actively believe something, we just kinda default to whatever's normal for creatures of flesh," Zaveid went on, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So we probably taste the same things a human would, unless we convince ourselves of something else. That's a good point, though…I'll remember it."

_We're lucky enough to call Velvet family, she'll cook for us anytime,_ Edna pointed out dully. _What use do you have for this revelation?_

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something," Zaveid smirked.

"_Guys_," Eizen sighed, biting into his own sandwich, and the budding argument stopped before it crossed into dangerous territory.

The meal passed in relative silence, as did the dusk. As Eizen packed away the wrappings from his sandwich, though, Sadie spoke up.

"Can I ask you something, hellion-spawn?" she questioned.

Sighing heavily, Eizen turned to her. "If you want to ask me something, could you please not call me hellion-spawn when you do it?" he asked.

Her lips curved into a spiteful sneer. "Did you expect me to call you 'Shepherd'?"

"I'd be perfectly fine with you calling me by my name," Eizen said.

_He was named after a seraph, if that helps,_ Edna informed Sadie; _my seraph brother was named Eizen. And no, before you start,_ she added as Sadie opened her mouth, _his parents didn't name him after a seraph; _I_ did. I was the first to give him his name when he was born._

"You can ask me whatever you want, Sadie," Eizen said before either of them could go any further along that tangent, "but I'd appreciate it if you stop insulting me every time you talk to me. I'm not hellion-spawn; my parents were purified about a year before I was even born. You don't have to like me, but…if we're going to travel together, please call me by my name."

Dark brown eyes, almost black in the faint light that was now more moon than sun, turned away from Eizen's face as his Squire shifted uncomfortably. "…Eizen," she ground out, as though it physically hurt to say. "I was just wondering…Lady Edna said that your sister, the Lord of Calamity, is thirteen years old. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Eizen replied. "Why?"

"I heard her speech outside Marlind yesterday," Sadie said slowly. "She didn't talk like a thirteen-year-old."

"She's just trying to sound older than she is," Eizen dismissed. "I swear, I never heard her talk like that before she turned, but now that she's the Lord of Calamity, she probably thinks that means she's an adult."

"And what about _your_ speech?" Sadie challenged. "When you became the Shepherd, you talked like her."

"You can thank Zaveid for that," Eizen answered with a small smile and gesturing to the wind seraph who was standing back with folded arms. "He can get pretty eloquent when he tells stories, we've been listening to him recite poetry our whole lives. Niko probably just thinks that's how adults talk…and I guess I kind of wanted to sound older than I was when I became the Shepherd, too."

"So you really did grow up with the seraphim…" Sadie said slowly.

"He sure did," Zaveid grinned. "I watched all three of 'em grow up, and gave 'em all the guidance I could. 'Course, no one could handle Niko."

"Has she always been like this?" Sadie asked Zaveid.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "The kids might not be hellion-spawn, but Niko's always been a handful. I remember the first thing in her life that ever made her smile was pulling my hair."

A surprised giggle escaped Sadie's lips before she clapped a hand over her mouth, and Eizen smiled. Maybe she really would understand, eventually.

"My…My apologies, Lord Zaveid," Sadie managed after a moment. "That's horrible. I'm sorry you had to put up with that."

"Nah, it was nothing," Zaveid dismissed. "But it's nice to hear you laugh for once. I didn't know ya knew how."

"I…try to keep my emotions in check," Sadie said slowly. "My father always taught me that to feel is to fail."

"Emotions are part of being alive, Sadie," Eizen said. "My father always taught _me_ that we need our emotions in order to go on living, just that letting our emotions _control_ us leads to mistakes."

"I'd expect nothing more out of a hellion," Sadie scowled.

"When my father became a hellion, one of the things that happened to him was that he _lost_ his human emotions," Eizen said. "And Innominat, the leader of the Five Lords before Maotelus, existed to suppress all emotion so that humans would destroy themselves. Emotions are important, Sadie, important to life _without_ malevolence." He sighed. "My father taught me that if I ever feel something so strongly that I can't think straight, I should take a moment to just let myself feel it; if I do that, it'll burn itself out before too long, and then I can take back control. Control is important, don't get me wrong, especially in battle, but that doesn't mean it's bad to feel things."

"Whatever," Sadie sighed, clearly done listening for the night.

"Let's get some sleep," Eizen began.

"Sleep?" she exclaimed. "Sleep on what? The ground?"

Zaveid smiled wickedly at her. "You can sleep on me instead, if you'd like," he offered.

"_Uncle_," Eizen groaned.

"What?" he protested. "A lady shouldn't have to sleep in the dirt, that's all I'm saying! I'm just offering to be a pillow, nothing more than that."

"Lord Zaveid, no, I…I couldn't possibly demean you like that," Sadie managed to say, her blush visible in the increasing moonlight.

"Nothing demeaning about it," Zaveid smirked. "In fact, I-"

Before things could go any further, Eizen pulled off his cloak. "Sadie," he said, folding it into a bundle before holding it out to her, "here, you can sleep on this. I know it's not much, but…it should keep your face out of the sand, at least."

"A Shepherd's cloak?" Sadie asked, glaring at him. "Does your duty mean so little to you?"

_Shepherds' cloaks are of exceptionally high quality, intentionally designed to be incredible durable so that they might serve a Shepherd wherever he may go,_ Edna told Sadie. _They're resistant to wear and tear, any form of weather, battle damage, bloodstains…you could toss and turn all night and drool on it and it wouldn't be any worse for the wear in the morning._

Sadie's glare didn't waver. "You expect me to trust you, hellion-spawn?" she asked in a low voice.

"You don't have to trust me," Eizen sighed. "I'm just offering you something to sleep on, since you said you didn't want to sleep on the ground. Again, I know it's not much, but it's all I've got. You don't have to take it if you don't want it."

There was a long, tense minute spent in absolute silence; even Zaveid didn't interject. Then, finally, Sadie leaned forward and yanked the bundle out of his hand, and Eizen let loose a pent-up breath. Maybe it was too hopeful of him to think that this might be a sign of peace, but it felt like progress…especially when she hesitated, then swiped up the sandwich he'd left on the ground for her before retreating to a far corner of the shelter, digging into the food ravenously.

Zaveid returned to rest within Eizen, where Eizen could feel his uncle gloating. _I make a pretty good wingman, don't I?_ he boasted, the comment clearly shielded from the Squire.

_If you expect us to believe that you made that offer so she'd take Eizen's cloak, you've got something else coming,_ Edna told him.

_Oh come on, why is that so hard to believe?_ Zaveid asked.

_Three reasons,_ she replied: _One, you made your offer long before Eizen made his; two, you oversold it; and three, you're the same guy who nearly assaulted her just for calling him impotent._

_I did no such thing!_ Zaveid exclaimed, genuine indignation pouring out of his place in Eizen's chest. _What kind of man do you think I am, exactly?! __I would never do something like that!_

_Then what were you planning to do if I hadn't stabbed you? _Edna demanded.

_I…!_ Zaveid faltered, and Eizen frowned. _I would have…provided visual confirmation, nothing more,_ the wind seraph answered at last, and while this was the least horrible possible answer he could have given, Eizen grimaced.

_Oh, well, that makes it okay, then,_ Edna said sarcastically. _Yeah, nothing would have been traumatizing about that at all._

_The point is, I wouldn't have touched her,_ Zaveid snapped. _Would you rather I'd planned to?_

_I'd rather you stop being a gross pervert with a disgustingly human sense of man-pride,_ Edna glowered at him._ You're lucky I'm too tired to manifest right now, or I would have stabbed you again for offering to be a "pillow". If Sadie loses her mind completely, she'll be useless to us, and you nearly shattered her sanity yesterday. At least wait until we don't need a Squire anymore before you torture her again; for now, she's off-limits._

_You're never gonna let this go, are you?_ Zaveid sighed resignedly. _Honestly…I would have thought having a boyfriend would mellow you out a little._

_Isan is not my boyfriend,_ Edna stated; _we haven't even gone on a single date yet. Maybe after he and I start dating, you can reevaluate._

Grumpy vibes poured out of the space where Zaveid lived inside Eizen, and the Shepherd couldn't help smiling at it a little despite the topic of conversation. His uncle and his big sister bickering with each other was and had always been a constant in his life, and to hear them sniping at each other was incredibly grounding, even if he had to tell them to stop when it threatened to traumatize Sadie. Despite everything he had lost, everything the world stood to lose, Edna and Zaveid's arguments made it feel like this life was still his own.

The Shepherd was about to add his own input to the discussion, but a crunching sound caught his attention, and he glanced up to see Sadie balling up the wrapper from her sandwich and stowing it away before turning her back and setting down his cloak beside her. Then she reached up to her bun and unpinned her hair, letting the golden curls come loose.

Eizen's breath caught at the sight, and he prayed she hadn't heard him. That golden hair had been the first thing he'd noticed about her during his first year of school, when she happened to pass him by at lunch, the only time their paths would cross since she was two years ahead of him. In the moonlight, though the color was bleached, he could see the way those curls cascaded down to the small of her back, and he could imagine their color just fine on his own…rich and shiny, like sunlight mixed with the most precious of metals…

Laughter from within him shook him out of his trance. _So that's what you're into, huh kiddo?_ Zaveid chuckled.

_Uncle!_ Before the blood pooling in his cheeks could burst through his skin and kill him from blood loss, Eizen turned away from the sight of Sadie as she lay her head down on his cloak, rolling onto his side, his back to his Squire.

_Hey, nothing wrong with knowing what you like,_ Zaveid smirked.

Eizen took a breath, then let it out, long and slow. _Yes there is,_ he said. _For me…there is._

_How come?_ his uncle challenged.

_Well, for one thing, she's engaged to another man,_ Eizen pointed out.

_She's in an _arranged_ marriage,_ Zaveid dismissed._ In my experience, there are only two reasons why someone would willingly agree to an arranged marriage: either they don't think they'll get any prospects otherwise, or they've been brainwashed into thinking that there's something more important than love when it comes to getting married. Now, a pretty girl like Sadie? Definitely not the former. Her fiancé probably is - most noblemen have the charisma of a dinner plate - but Sadie…well, she's been raised wrong, in a lot of ways. And one of the great things about her taking this journey with is us that we're getting her away from the idiots who raised her and showing her what the world's really like. You have an entire quest to change her mind, and if she decides she doesn't want to go through with the wedding, no one can force her, it's against Hyland law._

_I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Zaveid,_ Edna concurred. _There are a lot of things she needs to learn about life; the fact that agreeing to an arranged marriage is probably a bad idea is just one of many._

_Even if you're right,_ Eizen thought, _and I'm not saying you're not, because you probably are, Zaveid, but even if you are, that doesn't mean…that doesn't mean I can ask her to marry me._

_Because you're hellion-spawn?_ Edna asked. _That's just another thing she needs to learn isn't true._

_No,_ Eizen replied; _because I'm the Shepherd._

Neither seraph responded to this.

_The Shepherd's duty is to stand alone, between the light and the dark, a shield and a sword to the people, people who will never thank him, never accept him as one of their own,_ Eizen recited. _Sorey always said that._

_Sorey had a lover,_ Edna pointed out.

_Yeah, but…it was different for Sorey,_ Eizen sighed internally. _The love of his life was a seraph, for whom he could serve as a vessel…__Mikleo could go with him wherever, and besides, they grew up together. But to have a human life, a human love, a human family? As a Shepherd, that's not my fate. I accepted that when I drew the Sacred Blade. I hope Sadie will understand that she shouldn't marry someone she doesn't love, too, but even if she does figure that out…her love won't be for me. It can't be for me._

_Why the hell not?_ Zaveid asked. _She's your Squire, it's not like she's just some random nobody who doesn't understand the Shepherd's duty. Hell, if we manage to get some sense into her head, she'll probably have nothing but respect for you. Why couldn't she love you?_

_Because…_ Eizen sighed, out loud this time. _Because when this quest is over, either I will have killed my own sister, or my sister will have killed me._

Both seraphim fell silent again as he confessed what he knew would be the end of his journey. He hadn't actually admitted it, not to them and not to himself, before now, but he'd always known.

_Either way, I don't have a future. Not with Sadie…not with anyone._

_Baby brother…_

_It's okay,_ he told them before Edna could start trying to comfort him. _Like I said, I accepted it when I decided to become the Shepherd. Better me than anyone else. I mean, if I _hadn't_ become the Shepherd, I'd still be the Lord of Calamity's brother, as well as another Lord of Calamity's son. There was never going to be a happy ending for me; I'm just going to do what I can to make the best use of the life I've been given._

There was no more response from either seraph as his eyes slid closed; the sand underneath was just soft enough that he could rest his tired muscles and relax. As he drifted off to sleep, he felt his family's respect, their sorrow, and that was enough for him.

~o~

Morning dawned bright and hot, even in the little stone hut Edna had helped make. Eizen was the first to rouse, and he wiped the sand off his face before untying his short ponytail to brush the dirt out of his hair as Zaveid and Edna emerged.

"Feeling better, big sis?" he asked his sister as he tied his hair back again.

"Much better, thank you," Edna replied, opening her umbrella and twirling it over her shoulder. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," Eizen said softly. "I'm…fine."

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" Zaveid chirped from across the shelter, leaning down to shake Sadie awake. "We've got ground to cover and a world to save!"

Sadie groaned, then sat up, rubbing her eyes and brushing loosely through her curls with her fingers. Desperately trying not to be hypnotized by the movement of her golden hair, Eizen walked over to her.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Well enough," she yawned. Then she frowned and added, "You can have your cloak back."

It wasn't a thanks, but at least she hadn't snapped at him. Withholding a sigh, Eizen picked up his cloak, shook it out, and pulled it back on, while Sadie tied her hair back up.

"Is it safe to take down these walls, Zaveid?" Edna asked. "Anything waiting to pounce on us?"

"Hmm…" Zaveid's eyes went distant for a moment as he focused on reading the wind. "We're good," he said at last. "Nothing noticed us."

"Alright then." Edna planted her umbrella in the ground and closed her eyes, and the slabs of stone that had sheltered them for the night retreated back within the earth, leaving no trace behind.

The sudden, unobstructed sunlight was almost blinding, but Eizen blinked it away and turned for the strip of green in the distance. "To Rolance, then," he said. "We just have to come down this hill and we'll be there, right?"

"That's right," Zaveid confirmed. "But be on your guard, kiddo. Remember what we agreed yesterday."

"Yeah." Edna and Zaveid retreated within him, and he started walking, Sadie behind him.

There were a few more hellions along the path, and quelling them helped Eizen wake up fully. Then, around a bend, he came into sight of a blockade much like the one on the Hyland side of the basin, this one lined with a contingent of Rolance soldiers, decked out in scarlet hues instead of blue, though their helmets hid their faces as effectively as those of Hyland knights. They stood shoulder to shoulder, an impassible wall, as though they were waiting for him, and Eizen approached with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Halt," barked one as he drew close. "Who are you? Identify yourself."

"My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe; I am the Shepherd," Eizen told the guard steadily. "This is my Squire, Sadie Halloway, and these…" He gestured to his seraphim as they emerged. "…are my Prime Lord and Sub Lord, Zaveid and Edna. We are here to help with the damage caused by the Lord of Calamity."

"Shepherd, eh?" grunted one of the soldiers. "You took your sweet time showing up."

"I came as quickly as I could," Eizen stated with a slight bow. "Please, may we pass?"

"Andre!" barked a soldier, turning to his right. "Escort the good Shepherd to Lastonbell. _Make sure_ he meets with General Donovan."

Something about the way the man emphasized this last set Eizen on edge, and he knew Zaveid and Edna were wary as well.

"Sir!" the soldier named Andre saluted with his sword, then broke formation along with the others near him to create an opening for Eizen and his allies. "If you would follow me, noble Shepherd," he said with a slight bow.

"Of…course," Eizen said slowly, glancing at his uncle. Zaveid gave him the tiniest of nods, and Eizen followed Andre across the last of Glaivend Basin, Sadie and his seraphim in tow.

Just beyond the edge of the wasteland was an incredibly lush forest, with trees that were all nearly as big as the one that had held Eizen's home up once, though these were of a different color and texture entirely. Eizen knew what this place was, of course - Volgran Forest, the beginning of the territory belonging to the Rolance Empire - but seeing it with his own eyes was nothing like reading about it in class.

"No time to gawk," Edna told Eizen maybe a split second after the Shepherd had stopped in his tracks. "There will be hellions around. The malevolence is stronger here."

"I'm thinking the local Lord of the Land ain't doing so hot," Zaveid muttered. "Hey Andre, you wouldn't know anything about the Lord of the Land around here, would you?"

Andre flinched, almost leaping off the ground, and Eizen put a hand to his katana. "N-No!" stammered the soldier. "No, I…I wouldn't know anything about that. What's a Lord of the Land?"

"Come on, man, how dumb do you think we are?" Zaveid demanded. "You don't get to be a Shepherd - or a Prime Lord - by being a complete idiot."

"Debatable," Eizen heard Edna mutter under her breath.

Andre stopped short, his back still to his charges. The four heroes halted behind him, and waited for a long minute.

"You have your oath, Prime Lord," he finally said softly, "and I have mine."

And that was all he said before he started walking again. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one could think of anything to say, and they followed him.

After a short ways, what seemed to be corrupted tree stumps with faces emerged from the dirt and attacked Eizen and his group. Taking it in their stride, the team fought back, though Eizen noticed that Andre stood to one side and made no motion to help them. When the plants were quelled, the soldier blanched with alarm that was clear even despite his hidden face.

"You purified them," he breathed. "You really are the Shepherd…"

"Are you telling me you just let us fight hellions without actually believing we had the power to stop them?" Zaveid exclaimed. "What are you trying to pull?"

"I can do nothing against hellions," Andre stated, though his voice sounded oddly pained. "I…I am glad that you can, though. Please, come with me, Lastonbell is still a ways through this forest…and there will be more creatures to fight."

Zaveid and Edna retreated to rest within Eizen as they kept going. _I think you were right, Zaveid,_ Eizen remarked between hellion fights.

_Yeah,_ Zaveid sighed. _Being right kinda sucks sometimes._

Eventually, they reached the gates of Lastonbell. As they drew close and fought off the last few hellions, Andre slowed, then stopped.

"Are you sure you wish to proceed?" he asked them. "You don't have to be here. You can go home."

"We don't have that option," Eizen stated.

"Please…Please, noble Shepherd, please reconsider," Andre rasped. "For all your good intentions, you…you will not be welcome here. Turn back, and save those who are worth saving."

"As the Shepherd, it is my duty to protect _all_ of the world from malevolence, whether someone deserves it or not," Eizen said. "Even if that wasn't the case, I have to take the trials to the southwest if I am to stop the Lord of Calamity. We have no choice but to proceed."

"Then…know that I wish you the best of luck," Andre said, his back still turned. "And that you will need it. Stay on your guard. General Donovan…has been waiting for you."

With that, the soldier raised one gloved fist and pounded on the gate. It opened, and another soldier emerged; the fact that Eizen couldn't see anyone's faces was starting to unsettle him.

"What is it?" demanded the new soldier gruffly.

"The Shepherd has come from the Kingdom of Hyland to aid us against the Lord of Calamity," Andre replied stiffly, gesturing to his charges, "along with his Squire. The sergeant has tasked me with ensuring the Shepherd meets with General Donovan."

"I see," the soldier said slowly; through the slits in his helmet, Eizen felt malicious eyes rake over him. "I will take them to see the General. You have done your duty well."

"We all must do our part," Andre stated, clasping a hand over his chest and bowing slightly. Then he turned away, sparing only one invisible glance at Eizen and his group before heading back to Glaivend Basin.

"Come in, noble Shepherd," said the new soldier. "We've been waiting for you." And he pushed open the massive door a bit wider. Taking a breath, Eizen crossed the threshold into Lastonbell, the border city, Sadie right behind him.

On the other side, Eizen was met with an unexpected sight: a bright, happy-looking town, full of smiling people going about their business. Had he not been the Shepherd, he would have assumed all was peaceful; the malevolence in the air clashed violently with the spectacle of a thriving community.

"If you'll follow me," the soldier stated, and he started walking without waiting for a reply.

Eizen followed the man, and Sadie followed Eizen. Lastonbell was unlike anything Eizen had ever imagined before: it was a full-blown city, just like Ladylake, but since it was built on solid ground and not constructed to stand in the middle of a lake, there were hills and curves in the roads, and trees and grass grew all around, even between the stone buildings. He tried not to focus too hard on the architecture and instead focus on the people they passed, all of whom seemed to be normal, untroubled humans; the malevolence around them was too thick for him to be able to tell if anyone he saw was secretly a hellion.

"What in the world was Andre talking about?" Sadie muttered to herself behind him. "It looks like everything's fine around here."

_You really are stupid,_ Edna remarked. _Can't you feel the malevolence? It's so thick I'd probably be sick if I tried to manifest._

"But everyone seems pure and happy to me!" Sadie protested.

_Things aren't always what they seem, babe,_ Zaveid told her. _If you only trust what's on the surface, you're gonna get killed. Keep your guard up._

"Are you…really that sure it's a trap?" Sadie asked softly.

_I'd bet three pretty ladies, a dozen good fights, and a bottle of whiskey that it's a trap,_ Zaveid stated.

_Seriously?_ Edna asked as Eizen shook his head and smiled to himself.

_Absolutely!_ Zaveid replied. _Do you think it's not a trap?_

_No, it's obviously a trap, but that's really what you consider high stakes?_

_Well, what did you expect me to bet?_ Zaveid chuckled. _My life?_

"Guys, enough," Eizen muttered. "Let's focus on what we need to do here. Sadie, it's like Zaveid says, we need to keep our guard up; the amount of malevolence in the air means that things aren't okay here, despite appearances, and we need to figure out where the problem is."

_I'm looking forward to meeting this General Donovan,_ Zaveid remarked darkly. _I can think of a few questions he needs to answer._

_I'm more interested in talking to the Lord of the Land,_ Edna said.

_What, looking to impress them too, maybe even get a harem going?_ Zaveid asked sourly.

_Have you forgotten that the Lord of the Land for this area is a woman?_ Edna responded.

_What does that matter?_ Zaveid grumbled. _Apparently, anyone's fine so long as it ain't me._

Edna's laughter rang through Eizen's head, and it took every ounce of self-control he could muster not to join in. Even Sadie, from behind him, made a brief choking noise, and when Eizen glanced at her, he saw that her hand was clapped over her mouth, her cheeks a brilliant red as she struggled not to embarrass the Prime Lord further.

_Oh, so that's funny, is it?_ Zaveid glowered. _Yeah, let's all laugh at the guy who's been trying his damnedest and rejected for years only to be upstaged by a guy who didn't do much besides exist. Ha ha ha._

_Indeed,_ Edna giggled, _it's hilarious. You really need to get over this._

_Zaveid,_ Eizen thought, not trusting his voice, _we have more important things to worry about right now-_

Suddenly, Eizen walked headfirst into the soldier who had been leading them through Lastonbell; he'd been so caught up in his family's drama that he hadn't noticed their guide stop short in front of a door set into one of a pair of stone towers that supported the massive bells the town was known for.

"S-Sorry!" Eizen stammered, stumbling back.

"Watch your step, Shepherd," the soldier told him. Something about the way he said it, like he'd barely even noticed nearly being bowled over, sent a shiver down Eizen's spine, banishing the last remnants of his amusement at his uncle's plight. "General Donovan has been waiting a long time to meet you. You wouldn't want to incapacitate yourself before introductions are even made."

"Why has this general been waiting for me?" Eizen asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

"You are the Shepherd, and the Lord of Calamity has been very active across the continent," the soldier replied. "We have many things for you to do here. I only hope you won't disappoint us."

There was nothing precisely wrong with the words themselves, but Eizen couldn't fully suppress a shudder. It didn't take Zaveid's life experiences to tell him danger was imminent, and he took a moment to steel himself as the soldier opened the wooden door and walked into the tower before following.

Inside, the building was austere, only a few pieces of furniture adorning the space. Most of the room was dominated by a thick contingent of Rolance soldiers, all fully adorned in armor, their faces covered. They all stood so still, it was as if the room was full of mannequins.

"General Donovan," their guide said, addressing a soldier who sat against the far wall - a soldier, Eizen noticed, with slightly more ornate armor than the rest. "The Shepherd has come to aid us."

Without saying a word, the man in the ornate armor stood, then walked up to Eizen with slow, deliberate steps. Eizen desperately wished the malevolence around them would clear a little so he could read if this man was a hellion.

"Shepherd," came the general's voice. "So good of you to come here at last. We've been waiting a long time for you."

His armored hands rose, and he pulled the helmet off his head. Eizen flinched, but to his surprise, the face underneath looked entirely human, if not exactly pleasant. He had a shock of coarse red hair that stuck up in all directions, brown eyes, and a hint of stubble that was stark against his pale, pasty skin.

"My name is Donovan," the general stated. "I'm very glad to see you."

"M-My name is Eizen," Eizen responded. He gestured to Sadie. "This is my Squire, Sadie, and…" Zaveid and Edna emerged from within him. "…my Prime Lord, Zaveid, and my Sub Lord, Edna."

"Prime Lord, eh?" Donovan asked, eyeing Zaveid strangely.

"That's me," Zaveid confirmed, crossing his arms, "and I've got a few questions for you, Mr. General."

"I will answer them as best I can," Donovan said with a bow of his head.

"First of all, since when does the general of Rolance live in Lastonbell?" Zaveid asked. "I thought all the big names lived in Pendrago."

"I'm not the only general in the empire," Donovan stated; "Lastonbell is my responsibility, but not much more. You're thinking of the captain of the guard, Martin, who is stationed in the capital."

"Alright…well then, what the hell is going on in this town?" Zaveid demanded. "The malevolence around here is so thick I can hardly breathe!"

"We would like to see the Lord of the Land," Edna spoke up. "We're concerned for her well-being. You wouldn't be able to help us with that, would you?"

"The Lord of the Land is currently ensconced in the Sanctuary," Donovan stated. "She is…indisposed, at the moment."

"Well then, let us see her," Eizen said. "I'm sure we can help her with whatever's wrong."

"Perhaps," Donovan said slowly. "But I would be neglecting my duty if I forced such a large responsibility on you without some proof of your abilities. If I may ask for your help…hellions have abounded of late, and we've done our best to contain them, but the prison is very nearly overflowing. The power of purification would be greatly appreciated, if you would grant it to us."

"Of course," Eizen said, though he kept his guard up. "That's our duty. Take us to where you've been keeping the hellions, and we'll take care of them."

"If you will follow me, then, noble Shepherd," Donovan said, and he turned to a door Eizen hadn't noticed before.

It was a trap. It was so obviously a trap. But what other options did they have? Eizen turned to his uncle and raised his eyebrows, asking without speaking. Zaveid's orange eyes were sharp as he watched General Donovan open the door, which revealed stairs that led down into what must have been an underground prison; then, the Prime Lord returned Eizen's look and nodded.

_We might as well play along for now._

Returning the nod to show he understood, Eizen followed the general down. Mercifully, Sadie didn't question anything that was happening, following them without a word, and at the back of his mind, Eizen wondered what she was thinking. He acknowledged the thought, then set it aside, gripping the hilt of his katana: _Focus now, think later._

What they found at the bottom of the steps could only be described as a dungeon - damp stone, iron bars, torches that seemed to give off no warmth casting a dim, flickering light. Eizen could see inhuman shapes moving in the shadows beyond the wall of bars in front of them. _Hellions. That much, at least, is true…so we'd have to come down here anyway, trap or no. But what could the trap be? Knowing a trap exists doesn't make it easy to spot…_

"I do hope you won't disappoint us, noble Shepherd," Donovan remarked as he took a ring of keys off his belt and made to unlock the door in the wall of the massive cell. "Capturing and containing these hellions has been a tremendous ordeal."

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations," Eizen said, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

The door opened, and Eizen stepped forward cautiously. As soon as he was across the threshold, the door slammed behind him, and a click told Eizen that Donovan had locked it again.

Zaveid chuckled from the other side of the wall. "Nice try, pal," he told the general before retreating to rest in his place in Eizen's chest. Understanding, Eizen turned to the door and summoned his uncle's power, merging with the wind as he swept forward, melting through the bars and emerging on the other side without any trouble; behind him, hellions launched themselves at the cage wall, just barely too late to assault him. Once he was back across, Zaveid emerged again and folded his arms. "Now how about we cut the crap already?"

Donovan didn't seem in the least bit perturbed. "Are you not going to quell the hellions, Shepherd?" he asked Eizen.

"You just tried to lock me in with them!" Eizen exclaimed.

"No, I was trying to keep _them_ locked in," Donovan said patiently. "I'm aware of the Shepherd's powers, that bars could not contain you. And even if I could, why ever would I try to lock you in a cage?"

"Because you were trying to separate Eizen from his Squire," Edna answered coldly.

"Separate? Heavens, no!" Donovan exclaimed. "I thought this wallflower would be of little use to you here. What good is a woman in battle?"

Sadie gave an indignant cry of protest. "Sadie is a fine warrior," Eizen stated, "and a fine Squire. Don't ever insult her again."

"My apologies," Donovan said with a bow. "But if you don't mind, we would greatly appreciate help with these hellions we have captured. Can you purify them or not?"

Eizen held the general's gaze for a long minute, thinking. "Purifying hellions is our duty," he said slowly. "I will cleanse the ones you have gathered here. Don't bother opening the door for me again, Sadie and I can get through without your help." He turned his eyes on his Squire and gestured with his head for her to come closer; Zaveid and Edna returned within him. "Come over here, Sadie, and I'll get us both through."

The Squire nodded and approached, and Eizen called on the power of his wind seraph before melting into wind and breezing back through the bars, this time catching Sadie and bringing her with him. On the other side, Zaveid and Edna emerged, and the four of them stepped forward into a crowd of rabid hellions.

There were a lot, Donovan hadn't been lying - beasts of all sorts writhed among each other throughout the room, struggling to be the first to face the intruders. Eizen slashed the nearest one with his katana, losing himself to the flow of battle, and they spread out, taking down the hordes of monsters. Luckily, though the prison was crowded, the monsters were about as strong as Niko's rock golems, maybe a little weaker, and the Shepherd and his allies were stronger now, not to mention twice the number that had faced that threat. After taking down a few, Eizen lifted his left hand.

"Hephsin Yulind!"

Blasting the nearby monsters with punches, Eizen and Edna fell into a rhythm, working in unison to cast artes and land blows. Eizen felt potential power grow within them, and he tried to access it, but nothing happened.

_Can we not cast Mystic Artes, big sis?_ he asked Edna.

_Not yet,_ she replied. _That's another reason the trials are so important: to cast Mystic Artes while armatized with a seraph, you need the blessing of the Great Lord of the seraph's element._

_Do you know any Mystic Artes?_ Eizen asked. _On your own, I mean?_

_Of course._

Eizen severed the connection, and they split back into two. His katana found its mark on several other hellions, and then Edna shouted, "Get down!" A domain froze time, leaving only his big sister in motion. "And stay down," she commanded, stomping one booted foot hard enough to crack the earth below. As stone columns rose around her, she twirled and launched a bomb of earth mana from her umbrella at her target. "_Terra Mine_!"

This Mystic Arte had a blast range, and a whole cluster of hellions were dispatched in one fell swoop by Edna's power. Though the prison was big, the numbers were noticeably reduced already, and they kept fighting, confident in their victory. Then, at last, there were no more foes attacking them, and Eizen and Sadie came to rest, taking stock, her armatized with Zaveid, him armatized with Edna.

The sound of a key turning in a lock fell on deaf ears as Eizen stared around him in disbelief. Though the hellions they'd hit were felled, none of them had resumed their natural forms. Instead, the whole cell was filled with twitching, spasming hellion bodies, helpless but far from purified. Here and there, little traces of the flames of purification danced along them, as though trying and failing to burn through a thick coating of some sort.

"What the heck?" Eizen asked as he and Sadie both de-armatized. He turned around, only to see General Donovan standing in the now-open doorway to the cell. "What's going on here?" he questioned.

Donovan tilted his head. "Remarkable," he breathed. "You are truly her brother. She told me it wouldn't work, but I had to try…"

"What is all this?" Eizen demanded of him, raising his voice as he stepped closer to the enigmatic soldier. "Answer me!"

"You wanted to meet the Lord of the Land, noble Shepherd?" Donovan smirked. "Well…" He spread his arms. "Here he is."

Before Eizen could even ask, Donovan's entire body began to jerk unnaturally, as though something was forcing its way out through his skin. His body morphed, malevolent flames dancing along his figure as he transformed into a terrible hellion. Now, his head was shaped like that of a boar, though he had scales everywhere except for the shock of red bristles on top of his head; that and the forked tongue and fangs he revealed when he opened his mouth were more reminiscent of a snake.

"This land is under _my_ domain," Donovan told them. "This is the gift our Lord of Calamity granted me. No hellions can be quelled here, no matter what you do."

"But we quelled the hellions in Volgran Forest!" Eizen exclaimed.

"Volgran Forest is the edge of my domain, and we were not expecting you so soon," Donovan hissed. "I have already undone what you think you did there. This land will be kept pure under my rule, purely dark, so long as I breathe."

"Then we'll just have to make you _stop_ breathing!" Sadie shouted, brandishing her ax.

"I would like to see you try," Donovan sneered as soldiers began pouring down the stone steps. Then, he turned and ran, soldiers pushing past him.

"Sadie, go after him," Eizen commanded; "take Zaveid with you. Edna and I will handle these guys."

"But-"

"_Go_!" Eizen ordered, raising his hand and calling Edna's true name again. "Now, Sadie!"

She met his gaze for a moment longer as the soldiers bore down on them, then nodded. "Fylk Zahdeya!" she shouted, diving into the crowd, and Zaveid merged with her as they blasted their way through the contingent, wind mana granting them all the power they needed to keep up with their quarry.

Armatized, Eizen and Edna started hitting the soldiers that swarmed them, all of them apparently focused on the Shepherd and not paying any attention to his Squire. They were stronger than the hellions Eizen had just fought, but there were also fewer of them, and the narrow cell door created a bottleneck. It was strange, to see his enemies fall and not transform or get back up when he was done with them, but even those he took down appeared to still be breathing, writhing on the stone floor in what looked like tremendous pain. _Once we take down the general, will everyone we've defeated be quelled all at once?_ he wondered briefly before refocusing on the battle.

Though he was battered by the time the soldiers stopped coming, Eizen managed to stay standing long enough to knock down each and every one. He de-armatized, and Edna sheltered in his chest as he picked his way over the fallen enemies as quickly as he could and dashed up the stairs, popping the last of his gels as he ran. There were more writhing bodies up top, and the door was surrounded by even more. Outside, the malevolence felt even thicker, not choking like Niko's domain but heavy, a blanket of pure evil.

One good thing did come of the strange state of the town: a path of defeated people led Eizen straight to where Sadie had gone. None of the humans on the ground looked like hellions, though they still had little white embers dancing on them as they twitched underfoot.

_These are the same people we saw happily living their lives earlier,_ Eizen thought at Edna.

_Yeah, all an illusion I guess, or something like it,_ she remarked. _Zaveid's going to be proud of himself. Don't worry about it, baby brother, you know what you need to do._

The path led Eizen to an old building that he guessed had to be the Sanctuary, just a little ways down the street from where he'd emerged into the town. Even in that short distance, though, any trace of the bustling people he'd seen before was gone, save those Sadie had taken down in her pursuit of General Donovan, lending the foreboding atmosphere an even more chilling air. Through a courtyard, Sadie and Zaveid were pounding on the ornate door to the Sanctuary, which refused to budge.

"What's going on?" Eizen asked, Edna emerging.

"He sealed himself inside," Zaveid growled. "Cowardly bastard…"

"You can probably use my power to break through," Edna told Eizen, and she retreated within his chest again. _It's the same way you use Zaveid's power,_ she went on in his head. _Just channel me, and use Giant's Strength to punch through a wall. This place is old, it shouldn't be too difficult._

Eizen nodded, called on the power of his earth seraph, and thrust a hand forward at the wall next to the wooden door. The stone shattered, leaving a hole big enough for one person to walk through; Eizen prayed the whole building wouldn't collapse. Inside, all was dark, but they had no choice but to enter and face whatever waited for them there. Edna emerged one last time, and they walked into the Sanctuary in single-file, Eizen at the front.

"So, it cannot be stopped."

The voice, clearly recognizable as that of General Donovan, hissed through the darkness.

"Very well," he went on. "Behold, the one you came to save. Guardian seraph Sindra, give us some light!"

Fire erupted in the distance, spreading across the room as it lit torches and sconces everywhere, but Eizen kept his eyes on the source: a large, scaly beast was breathing the flames from its fanged mouth.

"A dragon?" he whispered, his heart sinking.

"No," Zaveid told him, "it's just a drake. We can still save her."

"Not as long as Pighead's around," Edna remarked. "We have to focus on taking him out first."

"So what, we just ignore the giant almost-dragon breathing fire at us?" Eizen asked Edna as the beast's inferno faded, leaving the room lit.

Demented laughter caught his attention, not quite as hellish as Niko's but still unsettling. Donovan sneered at them through his pig snout and snake fangs from the center of the room, standing between them and the drake that had once been the Lord of the Land. "I am not much weaker than she," he told them, drawing his massive sword. "And we will not be alone, either."

Globs fell from the ceiling around them, surrounding the room and lining the walls: slime hellions, lots of them.

"Can you fight all this?" Donovan jeered. "Come now, Shepherd, and see how your powers match up to the gifts our lord gave us!"

"Spread out," Eizen told his allies as he drew his katana. "Sadie, try to keep the drake distracted; Edna, Zaveid, clear out those slimes, then help Sadie. I'll focus on the general."

Without waiting for them to agree or protest, Eizen charged at the corrupted soldier, their swords clashing together hard enough to drown out the sound of the drake's roar.

Though Eizen was a Rangetsu and had been trained to fight like one since birth, General Donovan was an older, experienced warrior who had seen real combat many times in his life, and all the focus and technique in the world couldn't replace that. Eizen struck fast, but Donovan hit hard, hard enough to jar Eizen's grip on his katana; and unlike Eizen, Donovan's blows dealt real damage, slicing his tunic and bruising the skin under his cloak. Sometimes, it was all Eizen could do to protect his head from the two-edged blade. Still, there was nothing else he could do but focus, only occasionally glancing around to see how his allies were faring, and even that much often cost him. Sadie, Edna, and Zaveid were following his plan, the seraphim quickly dispatching the horde of slimes while the Squire kept the drake busy. Every now and then, one of the seraphim would cast a healing arte on Eizen, and he knew that without that aid, he would not have won this fight, as the general was relentless.

Suddenly, a dark domain froze time, and Eizen couldn't move.

"Feel the power of our lord and savior!" Donovan hissed, black fire erupting along his mouth as he opened his jaws wide, as wide as a snake could, the massive fangs filling with dark energy. "_Dark Venom_!" he shouted, spearing his teeth through Eizen's shoulder.

Malevolence poured through Eizen's veins, fighting the seraphic fire he channeled as Shepherd; he fell to his knees, his body burning, all but helpless as the general slashed at him hard enough to knock him across the room. Mercifully, his cloak caught the brunt of the blow, but as he gritted his teeth and forced the darkness out so he could struggle to his feet, he felt battered, as though he might have broken several bones.

As the general charged for him again, mana suddenly swirled around them, knocking the monster back and healing some of Eizen's wounds; he looked, and saw that Sadie and Zaveid had armatized and cast a Rejuvenation arte on him. It was just enough, and Eizen dove back into battle, even more determined.

The slimes seemed to be downed, though of course they weren't purified; in the background, the drake's roar told Eizen only that the beast hadn't been defeated yet as he swiped at the dark general, darting around as quickly as he could. There were advanced moves his father had been teaching him that he hadn't quite gotten the hang of yet, but fear and danger were stronger motivators than his father's strictness, and he managed a perfect Form-8 cast for the first time in his life. _I have to do this. It's all up to me._

When another domain froze time, Eizen felt a flicker of panic, only to see that it was Sadie who had cast it, dancing around with her battleax as she bashed the corrupted seraph.

"Let your blood bleed silver in the moonlight!" she declared, mana gathering along one of the blades of her two-headed weapon. She twirled, launching a massive saber of energy at the drake. "_Wolf's Bane_!"

Was that enough to defeat the beast? Eizen didn't bother to check, returning his focus to Donovan as soon as the Mystic Arte was cast. It seemed as though the dark general was starting to slow down, and Eizen redoubled his efforts yet again, attacking too fast for Donovan to counter him. Yes, his foe was definitely weakening, if he could just hold out for a little longer…

Finally, one final blow sent General Donovan to his knees. Eizen felt the flames of purification course through the hellion…and nothing happened.

"So," Donovan rasped, glaring up at him, "it has come to this. Will you learn the lesson your sister charged me with teaching you?"

Eizen stared.

"I will not be quelled, Shepherd," Donovan sneered. "I will not be silenced. If you want to subject this land to your foolish idea of salvation, you must kill me."

"Donovan…" Eizen shook his head. "I don't understand. Why are you doing this? Why did you side with my sister?"

"Because she was the first to side with _us_!" he spat. "You know nothing, Shepherd Eizen. We all toil in obscurity, struggling and sacrificing so that we may build a society, hoping that our feeble efforts will grant us some form of recognition in the end. I have given myself entirely for this wretched Empire, slaved away and obeyed every order I was given, sacrificing my time, my body, my life! And for what? A foolish, cursed world that will only ever fall, be it sooner or later. Even if you stop your sister, another Lord of Calamity will rise, this is inevitable; the cycle never ends, and we all live our meaningless, empty lives in fear of it. The Lord of Calamity will free us of this fate, free us of the shackles of society, that we may at last pursue whatever brings us fulfillment without any worries or cares!"

"A world full of people who only think of themselves would be hell, for everyone," Eizen stated. "Maybe we all have to…to make sacrifices, but…" He trailed off, thinking of Sadie's engagement, and then of the people of Hyland who called him 'hellion-spawn' because they didn't understand his parents' past. Life in the treehouse to the east was so far removed from living in a town, living in a society, that, Eizen realized, he really didn't understand what the general was talking about.

"Do you understand now, just how little you know?" Donovan asked. "It is not too late. Submit to us, join us, and you will not come to harm. Nothing will ever harm you again."

"No," Eizen stated firmly. "I may not know a lot about the life of a commoner, but I do know that a world without society is no world at all."

"So too is a world without malevolence," Donovan hissed. "Do you really think a perfect world can ever be made? Why, then, has it not already come to pass?"

"I don't know," Eizen answered honestly. "And I don't know if I can make it happen. But I can try, and I will."

"Then kill me," Donovan said. "Go on, then. Look me in the eye and end my life, if you are so convinced of your answer."

"I don't have to kill you," Eizen said softly. "Please, just…let yourself be purified. Stop this madness."

"Am I the one who is mad?" Donovan chuckled. "Or are you?"

"Stop this, General Donovan, please," Eizen begged. "No one has to die here today."

"_Everyone_ has to die, according to your beliefs," Donovan retorted. "Prove that you mean what you say."

There was no getting through to him; Eizen knew it, but his hand shook as he raised his katana. For all his battle training, all his work quelling hellions thus far, he had never had to end the life of another living thing before. Killing hellions was something his father did, to protect the treehouse, but Eizen had never even watched.

"Will you kill me or not?" Donovan jeered. "Go on then, _noble Shepherd_, show me your resolve."

Desperately, Eizen turned to his comrades, half-hoping someone would spare him the choice. What he saw chilled him: little white embers danced along the body of the drake - it had clearly been defeated - yet it kept attacking, jerking and thrashing with unnatural movements as it continued assaulting his allies, the massive tail sweeping around and knocking them back within its range as they tried to flee.

They couldn't help him. He could only help them.

"I…I'm sorry," Eizen sighed, turning back to Donovan. "You leave me no choice."

The monster just snickered.

Though he was tempted to close his eyes, Eizen resisted the urge, instead looking directly into the hellion's own slitted pupils as he raised his katana. For a long moment, he hesitated, struggling with himself, with what he knew he had to do…and then, in one quick motion, he decapitated the general, who collapsed to the floor. The thump of disembodied head on stone was echoed by Eizen falling to his knees.

_I killed him._

Shock and horror numbed him, almost to the point that he couldn't feel the malevolent domain break, the flames of purification that had been struggling to act suddenly finding purchase in all the hellions and corrupted substances and burning the darkness away. The drake's body erupted in silver flames before fading and leaving only a seraph in a simple seraph-robe, Eizen's Squire and seraphim alive and safe. It was all distant background noise; nothing was real except the corpse on the floor of the Sanctuary, the corpse of a man Eizen had willingly slain.

_I just killed someone. Me._

"Baby brother?"

Eizen blinked, emerging from his daze to look up at Edna, who put a hand on his shoulder, her blue eyes sad and understanding.

"You did what you had to," she said. "He made his choice."

"Big sis…" he whispered.

"You gave him every chance you could," Edna went on. "If he was so determined to die rather than go back to his human life, well, you gave him what he wanted. Everyone in Lastonbell can live their lives free of malevolence now, because you did what had to be done."

"I know," he said distantly. "I know…but…"

"But nothing," Edna stated, and she leaned back so she could jab him in the arm with her umbrella. "Come on, get up."

Her stern, toneless voice and gentle prod made him laugh despite himself. No matter what happened, his family was a constant he knew he could rely on, and he pushed himself to his feet. "Thanks, big sis," he said softly.

"Yeah, and thank you for stopping the drake from crushing us," she said. "Of course, I'd prefer that to being smothered by slimes."

This managed to coax another laugh out of his throat, and he turned his back on the fallen general to approach his Squire and Prime Lord, who were helping the Lord of the Land to her feet.

"Guardian seraph…Sindra, was it?" Eizen greeted as he approached. "Are you alright?"

"I will be now, thanks to all of you," Sindra replied. "You came just in time; I might have finished turning any day if you hadn't saved me."

"Glad we got here when we did," Zaveid remarked.

"As am I," Sindra said with a slight bow.

Eizen noted the color of her hair and robes, both a bright blue. "You're a water seraph," he remarked.

"I am…" she said slowly.

"Would you be willing to join us?" Eizen asked her. "We need a water seraph if we're to attain the full power of the Shepherd."

"No," Sindra replied, shaking her head, "I am no warrior. Besides, I'm needed here. You defeated the Lord of Calamity's general, but there are plenty of hellions still within range of my domain; I need to grant the land my blessing so that what remains doesn't spread."

"Wait, the_ Lord of Calamity's _general?" Sadie repeated. "Lady Sindra, was General Donovan not one of Rolance's soldiers?"

"He was," she replied sadly, "but he wasn't a general under the Rolance Empire. I have felt his malevolence for a long time - his bitterness, his hatred. When the Lord of Calamity came to us, he stepped forward and accepted her horrid demands on behalf of the entire town; he was so determined, none of the citizens or other soldiers could stop him."

"I see…" Eizen mused. "Well, it's over now. Everyone in Lastonbell can get back to their lives."

"How's Pendrago doing?" Edna asked.

"I don't know," Sindra replied. "I have been sealed in here, desperately trying to battle the malevolence Donovan kept forcing on me; I know nothing of the land beyond my domain, even now."

"Well, we should probably clean the town up first," Zaveid stated. "There are a lot more people who were corrupted that we didn't purify on our way over here."

"Indeed," Sindra confirmed, nodding, "there are still hordes of hellions in Lastonbell, former citizens and animals alike. If you could quell them all before moving on, I know everyone would be very grateful."

"We will," Eizen promised. "Thank you, Sindra."

"Thank _you_, noble Shepherd," Sindra told him, meeting his eyes. "Really and truly. And the rest of you, too," she added, glancing at Sadie, Edna, and Zaveid. "All of you came here just in time; everyone free of malevolence is and will be in your debt."

A collection of "you're welcome"s were offered by the small party, and then they turned to head for the doors. Eizen did his best not to look at the floor where Donovan's remains lay.

"You…"

The sudden, unearthly voice rasped through the air as Eizen reached the hole in the wall. Turning in surprise, he saw nothing that could have made the sound.

"Prime Lord…"

It was coming from underfoot. Looking down in horror, Eizen saw the eyes in Donovan's decapitated head fixed on Zaveid, who had just finished walking past him.

"You talkin' to me?" Zaveid asked the dead soldier.

"Zaveid…" the head hissed, its jaws moving just enough to make a sound. "Prime Lord…"

"Yeah, that's me," Zaveid said cautiously.

"A joke," Donovan croaked.

"Huh?"

"You…reject light," the thing gasped. "You were…supposed to be…the first to fall. The first…to join us. You…were not meant…to fight back. That you are Prime Lord…is a joke…"

"What can I say?" Zaveid shrugged. "Life's pretty good at telling cruel, sick jokes. Have you heard the one about the decapitated snake-pig who wouldn't stop talking?"

Black fire exploded from the bodiless head, and Zaveid yelped and jumped back as it floated into the air, the skin peeling away under the dark flames.

"Why do you fight us?" the unholy thing asked Zaveid, no longer rasping, its voice twisted into something otherworldly. "Come, Son of the Wind, enough of this charade. Join us. We can give you everything you've ever wanted, make all your dreams come true."

"Now, see, if a pretty lady made me an offer like that, I wouldn't say no," Zaveid chuckled. "You should've sent a different messenger."

"Your jokes cannot hide the truth," spat the blazing head, which was now little more than a skull under all the dark fire. "You cannot deny who you are, or what you want. Enough with this foolishness, Son of the Wind; join us."

"Why don't you quit while you're ahead?" Zaveid smirked.

Despite everything, Eizen heard Edna groan.

"Oh come on, he walked right into that one!" Zaveid exclaimed defensively, sparing her a glance. "Well, y'know, floated…"

"Join us," the head repeated. "Join us, Son of the Wind, as you were always meant to do. It is inevitable."

"Yeah, see, I'm not really the kinda guy to put much stake in prophecies," Zaveid remarked.

"But I do not speak of a prophecy," growled the thing in the black flames. "I speak of what has already come to pass…of the choice you already made, so very long ago."

Eizen had kept his eyes on his uncle the whole time, so he saw the exact moment when all the amusement was wiped from Zaveid's face, like a candle snuffed out between cold, wet fingers. The wind seraph stumbled back a step, gasping, his eyes wide, and in his expression, Eizen saw something that alarmed him far more than a decapitated head floating off the ground and burning with black fire while it talked:

Zaveid was scared.

"Your choice has already been made," hissed the monstrosity. "You need only to understand your choice, and when you do, you will join us. Or, join us now, and all will be made clear without any further nonsense. You know who you are, Son of the Wind; you know what you did. Join us, and take for yourself everything you've ever wished for. Become the Son of Shadows, the man you have always wanted to be. Join us, and leave all your failures behind."

Without saying a word, Zaveid took a step forward, and then another. There was nothing Eizen could do as his Prime Lord approached the talking head, coming to stop right in front of the horrific thing.

"Join us…" it whispered.

Zaveid lifted a hand, and white fire lit in his palm. "Go to hell," he growled, and he thrust the flames of purification at the burning skull.

Silver fire cascaded from the Prime Lord's hand, blasting against the malevolent lump; in response, the black fire sputtered, but kept burning.

"You cannot lie to yourself forever," roared the voice. "You cannot escape who you are. Sooner or later, you will join us, and this miserable world will be made pure at last."

"I said _go to hell_!" Zaveid shouted, raising his other hand and unleashing a torrent of white flames. His eyes blazed with something Eizen had never seen there before: rage, mixed with pain and regret and traces of terror, as though his uncle was trying, not to purify a hellion, but to destroy some old, painful memory, some hard truth he refused to accept.

No more words came from the malevolent head; there was some laughter, but then the flames of purification engulfed it, the darkness extinguished. Zaveid kept blasting it for another minute, and then his arms dropped, the power severed. When the light faded, Donovan's head fell to the ground once more, no longer that of a snake-boar hellion, but of a man with red hair, the man he had first appeared to be, his lips frozen in a sneer.

Eizen looked at the fallen head once, then returned his focus to Zaveid. His uncle was slumped over where he stood, his arms and hands limp; his chest heaved as he panted for breath, as though he'd just run across the entire continent without using his wind powers to aid him.

"Uncle Zaveid?" Eizen eventually asked, taking a step closer to the wind seraph. "What…what was all that about?"

For a moment, Zaveid didn't respond. Then, he lifted his head, and Eizen saw the naked emotion there for a split second before it was wiped away, replaced by a calm, uncaring mask. "I don't know," Zaveid replied. "Just a…bunch of nonsense. Nothing you should think about."

It was a lie. But what else could Eizen say?

"Let's get going," Zaveid went on, straightening the rest of the way up to turn away from the fallen general and head for the exit. "I want the whole town quelled before nightfall so we can rest at the inn without worry."

"That…makes sense," Sadie agreed with a hesitant nod, and she followed him.

Eizen stood frozen. When Edna finally approached, he turned to her. "Big sis?" he asked softly. "Do you know what that was all about?"

"No," she replied. "I have no idea."

"I…I'm worried," Eizen said lamely.

"I know," Edna responded, and he could see in her blue eyes what she wouldn't say: that she was concerned, too. "But if he won't tell us what the deal is, we can't do anything about it. It's up to him. Let's just do what we can."

"…Right," Eizen managed, and they left to hunt the hellions remaining in Lastonbell.

* * *

**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of a snake-pig head burning with black fire] "For Whom the Bell Tolls" - Proof of taking down one of your sister's most vital allies, despite the sacrifice you had to make in doing so. Your trials have only begun.**


	10. All Around

Without the malevolence choking the air, it was easy to tell what was and wasn't a hellion; some attacked, others hid, but all of them were sorely weakened without the malevolent domain keeping them corrupted. It took the rest of the day to clean up the entire town, but not long after nightfall, the team was confident that they had quelled everything in Lastonbell.

Exhausted but satisfied, they headed to the inn for the night, paying for two rooms and a hot meal. Just like in Marlind, the innkeeper wanted to let them stay and eat free of charge, but Eizen insisted. Then, over dinner, one of the staff members came by and spoke.

"Pardon me, good Shepherd, but…I wanted to let you know that we've gotten the sauna operational again," she said with a slight bow. "Please, feel free to relax there as long as you wish, no extra charge."

"A sauna?!" The words came from both Eizen and Sadie at the same time; Eizen looked confused, while Sadie looked eager.

"What's a sauna?" Eizen asked as the staff girl hurried away.

Sadie rolled her eyes and muttered a grumble of disgust, and Edna took the time to answer Eizen's question. "It's basically a really hot room full of steam," she explained; "you get undressed, go in, and sweat a bunch. I'm glad to hear they managed to get it up and running again - I could use a break, and the heat is so relaxing."

"I've always wanted to try a sauna," Sadie remarked brightly. "My father used to teach me that sweating is how the muscles purge themselves of toxins, leaving the body refreshed and strong."

"Hey, my father taught me that too!" Eizen exclaimed. "Let's all go!"

"We can't _all_ go," Edna told him sharply.

"Huh?" Eizen asked. "Why not?"

"Because someone needs to act as Zaveid's chaperone and keep him as far away from the girls' sauna as possible," Edna replied flatly.

"Oh come on, babe!" Zaveid exclaimed. "You can't keep holding that over my head!"

"I can and I do," Edna said simply. "You can't be trusted, and we don't have a fire seraph to keep you under control." Knowing the humans would need it more than her, she sighed heavily. "I'll keep an eye on him," she grumbled. "You and Sadie go enjoy the sauna, baby brother."

"Uh…" Eizen's golden eyes flickered with something between desperation and confusion as he tried not to understand what Edna was implying. "Thanks, big sis," he managed at last. "I, uh…I appreciate it. We both do."

_Even if one of you doesn't really understand why,_ Edna thought, glancing at Sadie, who was wolfing down her food without any regard for what was going on, clearly eager to be done.

After dinner, Eizen and Sadie headed for the sauna, and Edna kept her umbrella pointed menacingly at Zaveid so he wouldn't go after them.

"You know, you're my Sub Lord, Edna," Zaveid remarked. "If I really wanted you to get out of my way, I could make you."

"Then why don't you?" Edna asked dully.

"Because, believe it or not, I am actually capable of some amount of restraint." Zaveid stretched and groaned before sitting down on a chair in the hall and leaning back, his hands behind his head. "I really wish you'd at least let this go. A nice hot sauna would be great right now, for both of us, after everything we've done today, and I can keep my winds to myself - I got most of it out of my system at Cellie's birthday party anyway."

"Maybe, but without a fire seraph, I'm not about to take your word for - wait." Edna felt her stomach turn as her brain finished processing what he had just said in a casual, offhanded way, almost as an afterthought. "You did _what_ at Cellie's birthday party?" she demanded of him, her eyes widening furiously.

Zaveid chuckled. "I think a better question is 'who'," he smirked.

Every inch of Edna's body flashed hot and cold, ice in her seraphic veins as her skin flushed in horrified shock. "You're…you're not serious," she managed. "You _can't_ be serious. You didn't _actually_…"

"Aw, c'mon, half the kingdom was there!" Zaveid said, still grinning. "All those pretty ladies in one place, most of 'em drunk, plenty of 'em desperate for attention…now there's a recipe for a good time if I ever heard one. How's a guy like me supposed to resist?"

That nauseating, self-satisfied smirk told Edna that he really was serious, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "I'm gonna be sick," she choked through her fingers.

"Sheesh, relax, would ya?" Zaveid asked, as though there was nothing at all wrong with what he was saying. "If it helps, I didn't make any moves until after you turned me down."

"I - you - that could not be further from the point!" Edna shouted at him, unable to keep her voice down. "That was our _home_, Zaveid! Our family's _home_!"

"What, does the whole eastern forest belong to the family?" Zaveid retorted. "'Cuz I always took it pretty far out into the woods before things got messy-"

"_Always_?!" Edna yelped. "As in more than once?!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He grinned again, and Edna genuinely felt her gorge rise. "Yeah, it was quite a night…If you want exact numbers, I didn't keep count, sorry."

"I cannot believe you," Edna said, struggling to deaden her tone. "I cannot _believe_ you!"

"Are you really that surprised?" he chuckled. "What else would you expect of me?"

"I thought that maybe, _maybe_, just _maybe_, you might have had even the tiniest shred of decency!" Edna snapped. "I can't believe you would…that you would do _that_, at a ten-year-old's birthday party, at _our Cellie's_ tenth birthday party!"

"Again, I always took it somewhere private, it's not like any of the kids woulda seen me," Zaveid dismissed. "Besides, a party is a party, and what's the point of going to a party if you don't have a little fun?"

"There are other ways to _have fun_ in life," Edna snarled.

"Yeah…not as much, though," he shrugged, still grinning.

Words completely failed Edna, and she stabbed him, not hard enough to make a scene just in case anyone was around, but hard enough to hurt.

"Ow!" he yelped. "The hell was that for?"

"How can you even ask that?!" she raged, barely managing not to scream.

"I honestly don't see what the problem here is," he shrugged, leaning back again. "I had fun, they had fun, at least a dozen women get to tell all their friends about how they got with a real live seraph, and since I got it all out of my system, I can focus on being the Prime Lord for the foreseeable future. Where's the downside?"

"You-!" Edna shook her head furiously, desperately trying to find some way to express her disgust. "You took advantage of some drunk women at a ten-year-old's birthday party, and you really have to ask what's wrong with that?!"

"Took advantage?" Zaveid repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. "What kind of man do you think I am, exactly? I didn't do anything they didn't want me to do, you know me better than that, at least."

"I don't know _what_ to think about what you would or wouldn't do anymore!" Edna snapped. "How do you even know if you did or not?"

"Because I asked," he answered simply. "I always gotta ask. You weren't the only one who turned me down that night, you know, but if a lady says no, I walk away, simple as that."

"That is still not the point here!" Edna groaned. "Even if you didn't do anything criminal by human standards, it _should_ be criminal to go to the birthday party of a ten-year-old girl who calls you family, the daughter of a couple who took you in for no real reason, and then use that child's party to…to do _that_! Do you not understand this?"

"Nope," he replied, "I guess not."

"You're disgusting," Edna growled. "I can't believe I ever cared about you. You know it's probably your fault Niko turned, right?"

All at once, the smug amusement was wiped away from Zaveid's face, his smile dropping as he sat up abruptly, as though she had administered the slap she so desperately wanted to give him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Lust is a form of malevolence, you _idiot_," Edna hissed. "Niko's resolve was too pure for her to turn on her own, something corrupted her from the outside, and you were probably spreading malevolence all over that party!"

Zaveid paled. "You…You don't really think…?" he rasped.

"It's the best explanation I've been able to come up with so far," Edna shrugged. At the back of her mind, a tiny voice tried to speak up in protest, but she was too furious to listen. "_Something_ changed at that party, and I can't think of anything else. And I've wondered."

"But…" He shook his head, his gaze turning to the floor in front him. "But then…why did she turn a few hours after I left? That doesn't make any sense…And…and seraphim don't produce that much malevolence no matter what we do, I can't have caused enough to turn Niko into something that could kill Sorey and control dragons…"

"It's not a perfect explanation, I'll admit," Edna conceded, "but I can't think of a better one. Plus, it would explain what Pighead was talking about earlier, with the choice you made and all that."

His eyes went wide. "No," he whispered. "No, he…he said the choice I made a long time ago…Cellie's party wasn't that long ago…" With a soft moan, he buried his face in his hands. "It can't be my fault…I was just…I was just having fun…That can't be what he meant…"

"What else could he have been talking about?" Edna asked sarcastically.

When Zaveid lifted his head to look at her, his orange eyes were surprisingly haunted. "You really think this is the worst thing I've ever done?" he asked, and he gave a completely mirthless chuckle. "Oh, Edna…Please, stay that naïve, okay?"

"What could possibly be worse?" Edna asked, surprised.

"Let's just say there are some things I don't like to dwell on," was the only answer he gave her. All sorts of horrible possibilities started flashing through Edna's mind, and he gave her a knowing look. "No, not what you're thinking, trust me. I've never done anything criminal - not by human standards, not by any standards…but there are things too horrible to be considered a crime, you know. Sins so terrible that just committing them is its own punishment, and would render all other punishments utterly pointless." He sighed. "Beats the hell out of me how the headless snake-pig would know about the one I'm thinking of, but…I mean, everything is in the Earthen Historia somewhere, maybe there's an iris gem floating around that told him or Niko the whole, sorry tale." He shook his head again and looked away. "Niko…" he muttered. "Niko can't be my fault…it _can't_ be my fault…"

Reminded of why they were even having this conversation, Edna felt her fury rise again, and she reached to where the little normin plushie dangled from her umbrella and squeezed it, over and over, until her thoughts started to settle. "Even if that wasn't what General Donovan was talking about," she said at last, "that doesn't mean it's not what happened. Do you know of any other reason why she might have turned?"

"…No," he admitted, his expression pained. "But it…it doesn't make sense…"

"Nothing else does, either," Edna pointed out. "And even if it's not your fault, you're still disgusting. You know that, right? You are vile, and depraved, and repulsive in every way."

"Yeah," he mumbled, "I know. I'm many things, Edna, but I ain't stupid. I know what I am…" His voice dropped to the faintest whisper as he added, "I know who I am."

_"__You know who you are…"_ General Donovan's words echoed in Edna's head, and she felt a prickle of foreboding that was quickly swept away by her anger and disgust. She shook her head. "And you don't even feel a little inclined to change, do you?" she grumbled. "Seriously, how can someone like _you_ be a Prime Lord?"

"I ask myself that every day," he sighed. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's something any seraph can do if they're willing, and I was the only one who volunteered. Any port in a storm, as they say."

_But Maotelus said you were receptive, as if it's _not_ just something any seraph can do,_ Edna thought, but she didn't bother saying it out loud, knowing he wouldn't be able to respond due to his oath. _Whatever. Maotelus made it seem like only fire seraphim could be Prime Lords for a long time because he was worried about how humans would take the implications, maybe this is just more of that._

Footsteps caught their attention, and Edna turned to see Sadie making her way towards their rooms.

"Oh, you're done already?" Edna asked her.

"Yes," Sadie nodded. "I…I'm not exactly sure what one is supposed to do in a sauna to pass the time, and just sitting there in the heat was very uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" Edna repeated. "Weirdo…"

Sadie flushed. "I…I'm sorry, Lady Edna," she mumbled. "Please forgive me."

"For what?"

"For…for saying something you wouldn't agree with," Sadie replied hesitantly.

Edna rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm gonna go join Eizen in the men's side, if that's alright with my _chaperone_," Zaveid said, standing up and glaring at Edna.

"Sadie, were there any other girls in the sauna with you?" Edna asked the Squire.

"Uh…no," she replied; "it was just me."

"Go," she told Zaveid.

He tipped his hat and walked away without another word. Edna could see the knots in his exposed shoulders, left over from the implications of their conversation, and she couldn't help feeling smug that he wasn't so self-satisfied about his gross behavior anymore.

"Pardon me, Lady Edna, but…is everything all right?" Sadie questioned timidly. "I feel as though I've walked in on something…"

"No, we were done talking," Edna replied. "I'm tired; I'm going to bed."

"Y-Yes, me too," Sadie agreed with another little bow. "We've been quite busy today."

"Indeed," Edna concurred, unlocking the room she and Sadie were to share and stepping inside. "We accomplished a lot. We've earned a break."

They settled down, cleaning up and getting in their beds, while Edna's rage slowly burned itself out. The fact that she had been so desperate to help Zaveid just a couple of days earlier felt like a bad joke. _He deserves to be as miserable as he is. This whole thing is probably his fault._

But as she drifted off, some distant corner of her mind pushed through the wall she tried to shut it out with and reminded her of her conversation with Niko at Cellie's party. _It could be your fault just as easily,_ said her conscience; _if your ploy shook her resolve a little, it might have made her impure enough to turn. It's not fair to put all the blame on Zaveid._

Too angry to accept this, Edna shoved the thought aside and went to sleep.

~o~

In the morning, when the boys and the girls met back up, Zaveid and Edna exchanged one single look in agreement: Eizen didn't need to know. He had enough going on, after all, and Edna trotted over to her Shepherd.

"How are you feeling, baby brother?" she asked him, remembering his ordeal from the previous day.

"I…" Eizen sighed. "I'm fine, Edna. I'll be fine. I have to…"

"Are you still conflicted over killing that monster?" Sadie demanded.

Eizen looked up, startled. "Well, I mean I-"

"Maybe purified hellions don't have to die, but he refused to be saved," Sadie spat. "You shouldn't feel any remorse for him. Or does he just remind you too much of your own parents?"

"Calm down there, babe," Zaveid told Sadie. "We all did what we had to, but that doesn't make taking a life easy. You'd be surprised, if it had had to be you."

"I…am not so sure of that, Lord Zaveid," Sadie said primly.

"In any case, our work here is done," Edna stated. "Let's get going; we have a lot of ground to cover."

"To Pendrago, then," Eizen nodded. "Let's hope things aren't as bad there as they were here…Actually, let's stock up on supplies while we're in town first, just in case."

"Yes," Sadie agreed, "and let's be sure we're more prepared in case we have to camp outside again."

"Right," Eizen said, and Edna and Zaveid took their places within their vessel as the humans left the inn.

_Hey, Edna?_

The question, shielded from the Shepherd and Squire, startled Edna. _What__?_ she growled in response, though she isolated her own voice likewise.

_So…we agree, then?_ Zaveid asked her, almost nervously._ That Eizen doesn't need to know? You won't…tell him?_

_Yeah, dummy, we agree,_ Edna grumbled. _Whether it's your fault or not, we can't do anything about it now, and knowing the possibility would just make everything harder for him. Why would I burden him like that?_

_Thank you,_ Zaveid breathed, as though this had been weighing on him all night.

_You know, if you actually feel even a little remorse for what you know you _did _do-_

_I don't,_ he told her. _Not unless it really did make Niko turn, and even then…well…come on, how could I possibly have seen that coming? I'm still a seraph, we don't produce that much malevolence. I'm not convinced it even _could_ be my fault._ He sighed, then added, _But I am still going to do my best to clean up this mess, whether I made it or not. I'm the Prime Lord now._

_Yes, you are,_ Edna muttered, _gods help us all._

_Look, I'm not perfect, but this is my responsibility and I'm not gonna let anyone down,_ Zaveid said firmly. _That's enough, ain't it?_

_It'll have to be,_ she admitted begrudgingly.

Shutting out Zaveid's whining, Edna expanded her awareness to look around outside her vessel. Eizen was buying supplies, and it was a struggle for him to pay the shopkeepers, all of whom recognized him as the Shepherd. Both humans were stopped regularly wherever they went by people eager to offer their gratitude, and though he tried to insist that it was nothing, that it was his duty, Edna could feel the way her baby brother's heart swelled at the attention. For the first time, no one was treating him like hellion-spawn - and sure, they didn't know his parents had been hellions, but they _did_ know that the Lord of Calamity was his sister, and not one person seemed to hold any judgment for it.

When the shopping was done and it was time to move on at last, getting out of town was slow going, as every five steps was interrupted by another grateful citizen. As ridiculous as it was getting, though, Edna just sat back and let Eizen enjoy the praise. _He did well, and it's about time people started treating him like it._

At long last, they reached the gates, where two soldiers stood guard. Edna emerged, and Zaveid followed suit; though they'd purified everyone, the sight of guards was still enough to set everyone on edge.

"May we pass?" Eizen asked when neither soldier made any move to stop him.

"Of course, noble Shepherd," the man he'd addressed replied.

"Any idea what's going on in Pendrago?" Zaveid asked.

"No," the soldier replied, "but if they too have fallen, we won't let them take back Lastonbell."

"We're counting on you, and Sindra," Eizen told him as the doors opened.

"We won't let you down, noble Shepherd," the soldier responded, and the group crossed the threshold into the vast meadow beyond.

Unsurprisingly, there were hellions outside, a fair few of them, though not quite as many as Edna had expected given the recent state of the town itself. After quelling a few batches, they were granted some breathing room, and Eizen took a moment to observe the scene that stretched before them.

"What are those leaning towers for?" he asked.

_Not sure,_ Edna replied. _Sorey or Mikleo would probably know, but they're both gone._

"Lord Mikleo isn't dead," Sadie pointed out.

_He might as well be,_ Zaveid told her. _Dragons can't be saved. Believe me, I've tried…Edna's older brother was my best friend for a long time, and I had to kill him after he turned. That's just how it is with us._

"But we saved Lady Sindra…"

_She hadn't fully manifested as a dragon,_ Edna explained. _We go through several stages of corruption, and we can still be purified along the way, but once we become fully-fledged dragons, the power of purification can't save us. Mikleo's worse than dead, and there's nothing we can do but set his soul free._

_Edna and I have already mourned him, and the old Prime Lord too,_ Zaveid added. _You'd best get it out of the way yourselves, both of you. Mikleo and Lailah are gone._

Somber silence stretched between them for a minute, interrupted only by a few more hellions that tried to assault them. Edna debated lashing out at Zaveid for invoking her brother's name, but it wouldn't accomplish anything, so she restrained herself.

"So…these towers," Eizen said at last.

_No idea,_ Edna said. _They're a lot sturdier than they look, though, I can tell you that; you don't have to worry about them falling over on us._

"Okay, that's good to know," Eizen said.

Edna smiled to herself. For all his curiosity, Eizen had never been a ruin nut like Sorey; he was a more practical sort of person, and she was grateful for that.

Together, they crossed the plains, hellions swarming them from all sides and quelled as they approached. The four only got a few cuts and bruises from the fights, but with a full stock of apple gels in their supply, nothing worrisome came of it.

Then, as they left the field of leaning towers behind, the hordes thinned.

_You feel that?_ Zaveid asked Edna.

_Yeah,_ she replied. _We're outside Sindra's domain, but-_

Suddenly, a line of arrows buried themselves in front of Eizen and Sadie, both of whom leapt back in shock.

"Come no further!" shouted a voice, and Edna and Zaveid emerged to manifest fully. "We will defend the capital with our lives, monsters!"

"Take it easy," Zaveid said in a placating tone, stepping in front of the humans and holding up his hands. "We're not here to cause any trouble. This here is the Shepherd, Eizen; I'm his Prime Lord. Lastonbell has been purified. We're not your enemies."

No response came.

"Come on out," Zaveid went on, his tone still gentle. "Let's talk about this. General Donovan is dead, you don't have to worry anymore."

Slowly, from behind some hills and bushes, a contingent of Rolance soldiers emerged, red and silver against the green grass, their helmets covering their faces, all with bows nocked and drawn. One of them, whose armor looked oddly familiar to Edna, stepped ahead of the rest.

"You say Donovan is dead?" barked the leader.

"Sure is," Zaveid replied. "The good Shepherd here killed him himself. Sindra has been reinstated as Lord of the Land, and the citizens have all been quelled."

"Prove it!" snapped the soldier.

"We, uh…we don't really have proof," Eizen stammered.

Zaveid chuckled. "Nah, we have something," he said; "I had a feeling this might happen. Recognize anyone?"

And from within his seraphic being, Zaveid pulled out a decapitated head by its red hair and tossed it at the line of Rolance warriors.

"What the-?" Eizen exclaimed as Donovan's head thumped across the ground. "Zaveid! You were carrying that this whole time?!"

"Picked it up last night," Zaveid confirmed, "just in case we happened to come across something like this. Good thing I thought ahead, huh?"

"Gross," Edna said, biting her tongue to stop herself from adding, _but points for being prepared_. No way was she going to give the dirtbag credit, not even where it was due.

"Captain?" asked one of the soldiers.

The leader of the contingent had knelt down to prod at the head with his bow. "It's him," he confirmed, rising back to his feet. "They're telling the truth. At ease, men."

All the soldiers let out audible sighs of relief, putting away their bows and arrows and pulling off their helmets. Each revealed face was entirely human, and Edna knew they had been right: Pendrago had stood strong.

"Right," Zaveid said brightly. "Now that that's cleared up, mind if we get by? Even if the Lord of the Land for Pendrago hasn't fallen, I'm sure the Lord of Calamity hasn't left y'all alone."

"You are most welcome here, all of you," bowed the leader of the soldiers, his helmet under his arm to reveal brown hair, blue eyes, and a chiseled jaw. "My name is Martin, and I am the captain of the Rolance military. Donovan defected from us a month ago, ceding Lastonbell from the Empire, and we have been defending our borders ever since. We are in your debt for ending that menace."

"It was our duty," Eizen said, stepping forward. "Captain Martin, my name is Eizen, and this is my Squire, Sadie. We've come from Hyland to lend our support to the Empire as well. Do you need any further assistance from us?"

"No, thank you, good Shepherd," Martin told him with a smile. "We have managed to keep the capital safe, though the outlying settlements have suffered somewhat." He turned to his soldiers. "Men, bring news to the Emperor and the church that Lastonbell has been reclaimed! Sanji, Eugani, gather some of the guards at headquarters and prepare a team to reconnect with our neighbors."

"Yes sir!" the soldiers all responded at once, snapping smart salutes, and they disbanded.

"I am very sorry that your introduction to our nation had to be so unwelcoming," Martin told Eizen and his group. "Rest assured, your troubles with the citizens end here. Please, won't you come and visit us in the capital?"

"Thank you, Captain Martin," Eizen said, "but we have other business to attend to-"

"I think we should pay them a visit," Zaveid told Eizen. "It'll be good to assess things for ourselves, and the people will be glad to see you. Besides…" He smirked. "I think you should meet the local Lord of the Land. Don't you agree, Edna?"

Edna blinked. "Um…"

Zaveid raised his eyebrows at her, as though there was some meaning to his suggestion, and she scowled at him. "You know," he prompted. "For family, and all that?"

"Family…?" Suddenly, she understood what he was getting at, and she smiled, though she was careful not to aim the expression at Zaveid. "Yes, of course," she agreed. "Absolutely, Eizen should definitely meet her."

"Who?" Eizen asked. "What's going on?"

"You'll see, baby brother," Edna chuckled. "Come on, let's go." And she and Zaveid retreated to rest within him.

Questions burned in Captain Martin's eyes, but he apparently decided not to question the words of the seraphim, and gave a slight bow. "If you will follow me, noble Shepherd and Squire," he said formally.

"Are there hellions around here that we need to quell?" Eizen asked, falling into step behind the captain.

"Hellions are everywhere," Martin replied; "if you try to quell them all, you'll be busy for weeks, if not years. We've managed to keep our citizens safe, and that's all we can ask for at this point."

_I like this guy,_ Zaveid remarked.

_Why?_ Edna jabbed at him. _Because he's just as lazy and nihilistic as you?_

_Ouch,_ he chuckled. _That hurts, babe._

"We might not be able to quell everything," Eizen said slowly, "but if there are any giving you a hard time, at least…or any who attack us on the way…"

"There haven't been any of real concern, besides the Lord of Calamity herself," Martin told him. "But if we find any on the way, I will of course stand back and let you purify them, gratefully so. We've lost seven men to hellion fights already."

Edna felt Eizen grit his teeth. Before he could lament his sister's doings, she told him, _That's actually a remarkably low number, considering how much malevolence Niko has been spreading. Remember, baby brother, she doesn't want anyone to die._

_That's not the point,_ Eizen thought at her, not hiding his words from Zaveid. _Chaos is her main goal, and people are going to die because of it…but she wants none of it to matter. I have to stop her, Edna._

_Take it easy,_ Zaveid piped up. _We'll stop her, kiddo, don't you worry. Let's just focus on doing what we can when we can do it._

"How are things in the Kingdom of Hyland?" Martin asked, interrupting the internal conversation he wasn't aware of. "Messages from so far beyond Lastonbell have been very few and far between…"

"Hyland is safe," Eizen assured him. "Maotelus has cast a domain around our capital, Ladylake, to prevent the Lord of Calamity from getting in, so that there's a refuge safe from her rampage. Aside from that, there isn't much news."

"Apart from the rise of the new Shepherd," Sadie added.

"Oh, right!" Eizen said quickly. "Niko killed the Shepherd of legend, Sorey, and the former Prime Lord was turned into a dragon who now serves her - I'm sure you've seen those two dragons she commands? They used to be Sorey's Prime Lord and Sub Lord, Lailah and Mikleo. Zaveid took the mantle of Prime Lord in Lailah's place, and, well, I drew the Sacred Blade."

Martin slowed, then stopped, turning on the Shepherd with wary eyes. "Who is Niko?" he asked.

"Oh, uh…" Edna felt the depth of Eizen's grimace.

_Just tell him, baby brother,_ she advised. _You might as well._

"The Lord of Calamity…is a girl named Niko," Eizen explained hesitantly. "Niko Rangetsu-Crowe. She's…my sister."

The Rolance captain's blue eyes widened in alarm.

"But I'm not like her!" Eizen added quickly, before Martin could say anything. "My sister has always been unstable, I took the mantle of Shepherd so that no one else would have to suffer for her madness. I want nothing more than to stop her, I swear!"

"We quelled Lastonbell, didn't we?" Zaveid pointed out, emerging to support his human nephew. "We're not here to help dragon-girl have her way, we're here to take her down. If you're even half as grateful as you say you are, the least you can do is give us the benefit of the doubt."

_What doubt?_ Edna asked pointedly, though she kept to her place in Eizen's chest.

"Our Shepherd comes from a family of hellions," Sadie spat, stepping forward. "His parents were sustained through malevolence alone for many centuries; his mother was the Lord of Calamity long, long ago. I don't trust him any more than you do, Captain Martin - that's why I insisted on being made a Squire. My father is a knight of the Kingdom of Hyland, and my mother works devoutly at the Sanctuary to worship our Lord of the Land and the Great Lord Maotelus. I myself am engaged to Sir Leybon, a nobleman of Hyland, fiftieth in line for the throne. Do not trust our Shepherd, but at least trust me; I won't let him destroy the world we've all worked so hard to protect."

Absolute silence met this rant; Edna didn't know what to say, and she had a feeling Eizen and Zaveid were equally dumbstruck. Sadie's brown eyes blazed with passion laced with something akin to hatred as she met the gaze of the Rolance captain, who looked back at her with no expression, his face chiseled from stone. A minute passed, then another; a breeze ruffled Eizen's cloak and Zaveid's hair, but besides that, all was still.

"You did quell Lastonbell," Martin said at last, bowing his head, not to Sadie, but to all three of them. "This is a strange time we live in, and it is not my place to question the will of the Great Lords. If you drew the Sacred Blade, Shepherd Eizen, then I will trust you despite your family. And I will also trust you, Squire Sadie. If our world is in your hands, there is not much else I can do."

"Thank you," Eizen told him, though Edna couldn't quite piece together what emotion there might be behind the sentiment, even from within.

_You know why she came with us,_ Edna remarked to him privately. _Were you expecting her to say anything else?_

_I was…starting to hope that maybe she was getting it,_ Eizen admitted. _I guess I was wrong._

Without any further discussion, the humans started walking again, and Zaveid returned to his spot within his vessel. For Edna, the walk wasn't a peaceful one, even when they weren't facing the occasional hellion that attacked them, for whom Captain Martin stood back and led the Shepherd and his crew purify the creatures. All the joy that had filled her baby brother on the way out of Lastonbell had drained away, leaving nothing but empty confusion. Finally, Edna stopped taking refuge within him and opted instead to walk on her own - better than marinating in his unhappiness. Before long, Zaveid had joined her.

Grasslands gave way to fields of wheat, left untended as hellions hid among the golden stalks. Eizen didn't even ask, he just started plowing through the crops in search of hellions to quell, and Edna didn't question him. Doing good in the world was the only way he knew how to cope with the sting of Sadie's judgment, and for a Shepherd, that wasn't a bad thing. Then, at last, they approached the gates of Pendrago, and Eizen breathed a gasp of astonishment, having apparently only just noticed what they were walking up to.

"Do you need your eyes checked, Eizen?" Edna asked him. "First the holy tree in Marlind, now the capital of the Rolance Empire…it's like you can't see big things."

"I'm just not used to…to anything of such size," Eizen told her. "How big is this place, exactly?"

"Big," Zaveid answered. "It's the biggest settlement on the continent…might be the oldest, too."

"It's older than Maotelus, at least," Edna concurred. "Maybe even older than me. In any case, let's meet up with the Lord of the Land already, so we can get going."

"If you will all follow me, then," Martin said, knocking on the massive gates. After an exchange with a soldier, the doors opened, revealing the massive city that was the capital of the Rolance Empire.

"Whoa," Eizen breathed; Edna glanced over and saw his golden eyes wide with awe.

She rolled her eyes; it wasn't that special. Visible from the gate was only the courtyard, surprisingly empty of foot traffic for the great city. "You might as well give us the grand tour while we're here," she told Martin; "Zaveid and I know our way around, but I'm sure Eizen and Sadie could use the guidance."

"Of course, Lady Seraph," Martin bowed, and he strode forward, talking to the Shepherd and his Squire as they followed him.

While the humans explored the city, Edna and Zaveid returned to rest within their vessel; he was distracted enough that being inside him wasn't uncomfortable anymore. Martin showed Eizen and Sadie the marketplace first, where they refilled their apple gel stocks and bought their first supply of peach gels; after that, he showed them the inn, took them around the long way so they could see where people gathered to be addressed by government officials, then pointed out the headquarters of the Rolance military. When they reached the soldiers' station, Zaveid emerged.

"Why don't you go on ahead, there, Captain?" he suggested. "Edna and I can get the Shepherd and his Squire where they need to go from here, and you probably have a lot of stuff to tend to."

"It's no issue," Martin began.

"No, no, you go and take care of all your captainly duties," Zaveid insisted, waving a hand. "We've got this."

From within Eizen, Edna eyed Zaveid. _What is he up to?_ she wondered, not trusting the bastard for a moment. _H__e really wants him gone for some reason…_

"I-If you insist, Lord Seraph," Martin conceded, bowing. He turned to Eizen and added, "We of the Rolance Empire are forever in your debt, noble Shepherd; should you ever want for anything, please let me know, and I will do everything in my power to secure it for you."

"Thank you, Captain Martin," Eizen told him, giving a half-bow in return. "You owe us no debt; it was our honor to help you and your nation. I don't expect there to be anything you could do for us that we would need more than your people do. Please, just take care of the citizens, and hold out against the Lord of Calamity while we gather the strength we need to stop her."

"You have my word, no one will be allowed to entertain ideas of joining the Lord of Calamity," Martin declared. "I wish you well." With that, he strode for the door to the soldiers' headquarters and entered.

"Right," Zaveid said, stretching. "As you saw earlier, the Sanctuary's this way. If you'll follow me, your Shepherdness."

Unable to take it anymore, Edna emerged. "What are you up to?" she demanded as they continued through the city.

"Who, me?" Zaveid asked with what was probably supposed to be an air of innocence. "Nothing at all. Just figured it would be easier for all of us to reminisce without a fifth wheel getting in the way and asking questions."

"Whatever," Edna muttered, though she didn't return to her spot in Eizen's chest, opting instead to walk beside the humans in case she had to keep Zaveid in line.

Around a few corners, they came to a grand, massive staircase leading up to a building on a high hill.

"This is the Sanctuary?" Eizen asked, looking up at the ancient building.

"Yep," Zaveid replied, "this is it, the Pendrago Shrinechurch. It also just so happens to be the very place your mother had to break into through the sewers to assassinate a corrupt high priest. You remember that story, right?"

"Wow," Eizen breathed, his eyes wide and distant. It wasn't the starry-eyed look Sorey used to get around old ruins; instead, it almost seemed like he was seeing what his parents had seen here in this city so many centuries ago, imagining how they felt on their covert mission for the underworld guild of the time, or when they'd seen Shepherd Artorius cheered on by crowds of people who knew nothing of what the ancient exorcist had done to achieve his goals. His reverence wasn't for something that was simply ancient, but clearly for the origins of what had ultimately led to his birth - not just the past, but _his_ past, the legacy of his bloodline.

"Come on," Edna said, prodding Eizen in the arm with her umbrella, "let's go in. The Lord of the Land will be happy to meet you, I'm sure."

"That she will," Zaveid chuckled as he started walking up the stairs.

Sadie and Eizen followed, and Edna brought up the rear.

Inside the ancient building, it was cool and peaceful - there were people here, a fair number of them, but only a few hushed whispers disturbed the silence. As they made their way through the church, some people glanced at them curiously, but no one stopped them until Zaveid made for the doors around the side of the altar that would lead to the back rooms.

"Hold it!" exclaimed a priest, who came running forward to block, not Zaveid, but Eizen and Sadie. "Common folk aren't allowed back there."

"Back off, preacher-man," Zaveid told the priest lightheartedly, turning around with a grin. "These aren't common folk; this here's the Shepherd and his Squire. Me, I'm the Prime Lord, and Edna here is my Sub Lord. We can head to the back room, can't we?"

"The Shepherd?" the man gasped. "We…we heard news, mere moments ago, but…"

"Well, the news is true," Zaveid said. "Now, we'd like to meet with the Lord of the Land. Is that alright?"

"O-Of course!" the priest said with a bow. "By all means."

"Thanking you kindly," Zaveid smirked, and he turned and opened the small door, leading the other three through.

Down a hall, around a corner, and through another door, they found themselves in a second chamber, this one entirely empty of people. In the back stood a tall, ornate monolith covered in cryptic writing, at the base of which sat a fat, white cat with a yellow handkerchief around its neck, a yellow diamond shape on its forehead, and jet-black eyebrows.

"Morgrim!" Zaveid said brightly, walking up to the cat. "How are ya? It's been a while!"

"A long time indeed, wind hunter," said the voice of an elderly woman with no immediately apparent source. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, milady," Zaveid chuckled, tipping his hat.

"Seriously?" Edna glowered at him, walking over.

"Hey, I gotta show a lady respect," Zaveid shrugged, "no matter what form she takes."

"Wait a minute!"

Sadie's surprised exclamation drew everyone's attention. Her dark brown eyes were wide as she stared at the cat.

"This _cat_ is…?" she gasped.

"Sadie, meet Morgrim," Zaveid declared, waving a hand at the cat, "the local Lord of the Land. Don't let her appearance fool ya - she's much older and wiser than me."

"We don't all take humanoid forms," Edna told the Squire. "Some of us are shaped like animals instead. Besides Morgrim, I've seen a dog seraph, there's a rappig seraph guarding the Heavenly Gate, and Lailah used to talk all the time about an armadillo seraph she always wanted to meet. But even those of us who take the form of animals are still people."

"Morgrim…"

Edna glanced at Eizen, who was staring at the cat seraph in awe. She smirked. "Putting the pieces together, baby brother?" she asked.

Morgrim's eyes were fixed on Zaveid now, sharp and pensive. "So," she said at last, though her mouth didn't move, "you are the Prime Lord. I would never have expected this, yet you seem to be doing your duty well."

"Well, thank you!" Zaveid grinned. "I appreciate it!"

"But this means, then, that what I suspected was true," Morgrim went on, her tone sad. "The dragons who now serve the Lord of Calamity…"

"Yep, one of 'em's Lailah," Zaveid confirmed, his smile fading. "The white-horned one, to be exact; the other is Mikleo, Shepherd Sorey's Sub Lord and lover. Sorey himself is dead."

"I see," Morgrim sighed, and she turned her attention to Eizen. "But I can also see that a new Shepherd has risen, and not a moment too soon. Good of you to have come here."

Eizen was still staring at her, apparently beyond words.

"You have an odd air about you, young Shepherd," Morgrim noted slowly.

Edna poked Eizen in the arm with her umbrella, and he started.

"Guardian seraph Morgrim," he blurted, clasping a hand over his heart and stepping forward. "I…My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe. You knew my parents a long time ago."

Morgrim blinked, her ears flattening against her head. "Rangetsu…?" she repeated.

"Yes," Eizen nodded. "My father is Rokurou Rangetsu…and you were once the allied seraph - malak, back then - to his brother, Shigure."

"Is that so?" Her white head tilted, and then she stood up, arching her back in a stretch before flattening to stretch her front legs, then her rear legs. "Come closer, then," she said, padding down from her perch; "let me take a good look at you."

Clearly nervous, Eizen knelt down as Morgrim stalked up to him, stopping only a couple of inches away and extending her head forward, her nostrils working like those of an ordinary cat. Then, slowly, she began to pace her way around him, carefully observing him from all angles, not saying a word. She came back around to his front…and then, suddenly, as she did so, she leaned against him and rubbed her head and side against his knee, again like a normal cat. Eizen gasped, then reached out and stroked the short, sleek fur on her head.

"Oh…" she whispered, her tone nostalgic and wistful. "Shigure…It's been so long, but I would know you anywhere, my dear friend…"

"I…I'm not Shigure," Eizen stammered.

"No," Morgrim said, walking around to stand in front of Eizen and face him, "but he is here. I can sense his touch on you. Wherever you go, he walks at your side, lending you his aid."

"Wait a minute," Edna spoke up, "I thought Shigure Rangetsu was used to incarnate one of the Great Lords…Musiphe, right?"

The cat spared Edna a brief glance. "The Great Lords have been incarnated by many human souls throughout the ages," she said simply; "when they fall back into their hibernation, they release the souls they have taken. Shigure has been at rest for centuries." She turned her gaze back to Eizen. "But now, he seems to have come back, to lend you his support."

"But why would he do that?" Eizen asked, clearly baffled. "Shigure and my father hated each other!"

"Rokurou was the hateful one," Morgrim dismissed, lifting her black stub of a tail. "Shigure didn't have a hateful bone in his body. He was a fine man, possibly the best human I have ever known. Unfortunately, the bloodlust of his family's ways got to him in the end; he couldn't resist a battle, a challenge, a rival. He died proud to have been felled by his own flesh and blood, and he holds no grudge. It seems he sees you as a worthy heir to his family's legacy…as a nephew to be proud of. Even from what I can see of you, you don't seem to carry any of the brutishness your family was so known for."

"Brutishness?" Eizen repeated.

Again, Morgrim tilted her head. "Are you not aware of the barbaric ways of the Rangetsu Clan?" she asked.

"Barbaric…? No," Eizen answered, his eyes wide. "My father has trained me in the Rangetsu style of combat since birth, but beyond that, I only know that our ancestor came here from the far continent thousands of years ago. Any time I try to ask him about more than that, he evades the question."

"His mother didn't want him to know," Edna spoke up. "She didn't want any of her children to have any idea what kind of messed-up family he came from. Even I don't know the whole story, and I've been living with them."

"I must say, it's hard to believe that Rokurou would settle down with such a woman," Morgrim mused. "You say I know both of your parents, son of Rokurou? Who is your mother?"

"My mother is Velvet Crowe," Eizen answered. "She was the Lord of Calamity who fought against Shepherd Artorius, with my father at her side."

"That one?!" Morgrim gasped. "But…"

She trailed off, and her eyes closed. For a long minute, no one spoke.

"Yes, of course," Morgrim said at last, opening her eyes again. "It all makes sense now. The resonance that exploded across the land nearly two decades ago…The seal has been broken, has it not? And Maotelus has consumed what remains of Innominat."

"That's right," Eizen confirmed. "My father broke the seal to free my mother."

"Did he, now?" Morgrim asked, apparently more surprised by this than by the fact that the seal had been broken at all. "How very unlike him. But perhaps the bond he shared with her ran deeper than I thought."

"I'd say," Edna muttered.

"A little while after that, they were both purified," Eizen went on, "and Maotelus used what was left of the seal to give them human bodies, so they could live human lives and have a human family together. Me and my sisters…"

"Oh, there are more of you?" Morgrim queried. "Do tell."

"Uh, well, there's me, I'm the oldest," Eizen said slowly. "I have two younger sisters. The youngest, Celica, was born with the Twelve Year Sickness, but we recently cured her with an Omega Elixir. And my other sister, Niko…" He hesitated, then confessed, "My other sister, Niko…is the Lord of Calamity who plagues the world now. The one who killed Sorey and turned Lailah and Mikleo into dragons."

Morgrim stared at Eizen with intense eyes. "You are the Shepherd," she said slowly, "and your sister is the Lord of Calamity."

It wasn't a question, but Eizen nodded. "Yes," he replied. "That was why I took the trial of the Sacred Blade. My sister has always been unstable, and ever since she learned our family's story, she's been obsessed with malevolence. This…is what she's always wanted. I don't want anyone else to have to suffer for her madness, so I took the mantle of Shepherd to stop her myself."

"Hmm…" Slowly, Morgrim turned around and climbed back up to her perch at the base of the monolith. She circled on the spot a few times before sitting down, then tucking her front legs under her, leaving her a soft, white blob. "The circle of destiny turns once more," she said softly, her eyes closed. "So it has always been, and so it will always be. This one turned much faster, however; I never thought I would live to see it. But will this cycle end as the last one did? Perhaps…just perhaps…" Her eyes opened and fixed on Zaveid. "We can only pray that it does, is that not so, Prime Lord?" she remarked.

Edna was completely baffled, but Zaveid frowned and tipped his hat. "Well, if you're suggesting what I think you are…yeah, that'd be nice," he shrugged. "But I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you."

"I think I will hope," Morgrim stated. "Despite what some might say, hope is not a waste."

"Ouch," Zaveid chuckled. "Take it easy with the low blows there, sweetie."

"In any case, Shigure wants to help you, and therefore so shall I," Morgrim said, returning her attention to the Shepherd. "Do you see this monolith behind me?"

"Yes-" Eizen began.

"We know about the trials," Edna interrupted before Morgrim could get started. "That's why we came to Rolance in the first place."

"Oh?" Morgrim asked. "You didn't come to lend us your aid?"

"Of course we did!" Eizen exclaimed. "It's just that…well, Niko's such an aggressive threat, we can't run around cleaning up all her messes as long as she's still at large. But we don't have the strength to take her down yet, so…we don't really have a choice."

"Ah, I see." Morgrim blinked once, contentedly. "You are quite right. Very well then; is there some other way I can lend you assistance?"

"Well…what element are you?" Eizen asked her, getting back to his feet at last.

"Earth," she replied.

"Oh, shoot," Eizen sighed. "We need a water seraph and a fire seraph, desperately, and none of the ones in Elysia or that we've run into during our journey has been willing to help us, they're all too scared. I was just thinking, if you were water or fire, we could use your help."

"No," Morgrim chuckled, "you couldn't use my help. If you know of my relationship with your late uncle, then you know he used my power to suppress his strength, so that fights would still hold the thrill of challenge for him. Such is my ability. I would not be of any help to you in battle."

"Well, um…what about my family?" Eizen asked. "Do you know about our history, the things my father wouldn't tell me?" He glanced at Edna, and she understood his meaning without words: _We're going to talk about how you know my mom didn't want me to know later._

"I know," Morgrim said; "I am more than familiar with the barbaric ways of your ancestors. However, it is not my story to pass on; confront your father if you wish to know the whole, sorry tale."

"My father is a hellion again, serving Niko," Eizen responded.

"Oh? Well, perhaps after she's defeated, then," Morgrim said. "Again, it is not my place to tell you of your family's legacy. I will leave that to him."

"Well, then…no, I can't think of any way you could help us," Eizen sighed.

"Hmm…" Morgrim closed her eyes again, and spent a long moment in pensive silence. Then she roused and met Eizen's eyes. "I will tell you what," she said; "go now and take the trials of Hyanoa and Eumacia. While you do that, I will make some inquiries around here. Once both trials have been completed, return to me, and I should be able to point you in the direction of at least one seraph who can help you."

"Wow, really?" Eizen asked.

"Indeed," Morgrim nodded.

"You have someone in mind?" Zaveid questioned.

"Perhaps," Morgrim replied patiently. "As of now, I know only of some vague rumors. But by the time you return, I should know enough to point you in the right direction. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Guardian seraph Morgrim, if you can help us find even one fire seraph or water seraph who would join us, we will be eternally grateful," Eizen stated, bowing to her. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, son of Rokurou," Morgrim said; "in fact, I should be thanking you, that I got to feel the presence of my dear Shigure one last time. Now go. You have much to do, young Shepherd."

"Of course," Eizen said, bowing again.

"Oh, and…"

Eizen stopped mid-turn, but Edna noticed that Morgrim's eyes were on Sadie now.

"Young Squire," the cat seraph said softly. "A word, if you please?"

"Oh, yes!" Sadie gasped. "As you wish, Lady Morgrim!"

"You too carry a burden," Morgrim told her slowly. "This world…is a strange, mysterious place, that no one truly understands; to believe that you have all the answers is to be wrong, no matter who or what you are. So…do not be afraid to ask questions, even the ones that frighten you, and do not be afraid to doubt what you think you know. This is my advice to you."

"T-Thank you, Lady Morgrim," Sadie stammered, bowing almost deeply enough to hide her blush. "I am honored to receive advice from you, and I will take your words to heart."

"See that you do," the Lord of the Land said.

Tense silence stretched across the room for a minute. Edna was the first to start walking for the door, and Zaveid followed her, joined shortly thereafter by the humans. Then, suddenly, Eizen's footsteps stopped.

"Hey, Morgrim?"

Edna turned back around to see Eizen looking at the Lord of the Land.

"Yes?" asked the cat.

"You said Shigure is by my side, lending me his strength," Eizen said slowly. "Are there…I mean, do you sense any other presences walking with me, besides him?"

"Oh, so you've noticed!" Morgrim remarked. "Most impressive. Yes…you carry the blessings of many departed souls with you, their hopes and dreams riding on your shoulders. Some are faintly familiar to me, while others are entirely foreign, but I cannot be sure of the identities of any of them save for Shigure."

"I see," Eizen nodded. "Thank you, Morgrim."

"Be well on your way, noble Shepherd," she responded.

With that, at last, they walked away.

"What was that about?" Edna asked as they walked down the hall to the main chamber of the Shrinechurch. "What does she mean, there are other souls with you?"

"When I drew the Sacred Blade," Eizen said slowly, "I felt…other presences with me. Thirteen other people's hands were clasped around my own, lending me their strength as I pulled the sword from the altar. I…guess Shigure was one of them."

"Huh," Zaveid mused. "Well, I guess that explains that."

Edna stopped short, and Eizen followed suit. "What are you talking about?" she asked Zaveid, tossing him a sharp glare.

Zaveid gave a sheepish smile. "I kinda…tried to prevent Eizen from drawing the Sacred Blade," he admitted. "It ain't _all_ up to me, but I do have some say. I was wondering how he managed to overpower me."

"Uncle Zaveid!" Eizen exclaimed. "Why would you-?"

"Hey, your mother was on the floor crying and begging me not to let you become the Shepherd, what was I supposed to do?" Zaveid exclaimed defensively. "Come on, you two know my weakness!"

"Weakness?" Eizen repeated.

"Apparently, crying women always get whatever they want from him," Edna said dully. "Never thought I'd see him actually follow through on that, though."

"Yeah, well, I guess I shouldn't've bothered," Zaveid shrugged. "Seems our boy was always meant to be the Shepherd. Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes, y'know? I tell ya, it's really good at those."

"Cruel joke or not," Eizen said softly, "this is my duty."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the Shepherd now," Zaveid dismissed, folding his arms.

"It was my duty to stop my sister!" Eizen snapped. "I _had_ to draw the Sacred Blade, Zaveid! You really would have stopped me just because my mom asked you to?!"

"Look, it's over and done with, and you still drew it, didn't you?" Zaveid pointed out. "No harm done! Let's just focus on doing what we gotta do now, yeah?"

"Speaking of which," Edna inserted before Eizen's anger could build, not to protect Zaveid but because they really didn't have time to waste on this nonsense, "we have two trials we need to take. Which one should we go to first, earth or wind?"

"Uh…" Eizen looked at Edna. "Which one is closer?"

"They're both about the same distance away," Edna replied; "wind is to the west and then south, through Westronbolt Gorge; earth is south and a little east, in Aifread's Hunting Ground."

"Aifread?" Eizen repeated. "Hey, isn't that-?"

"Yup," Zaveid said, "that's the pirate king her brother was first mate to back in the day. Little ironic, doncha think?"

"Hardly," Edna said tonelessly. "The point is, the two trials open to us are both equally far from here. It's up to you which one we take first."

"Hmm…" Eizen frowned. Then, surprisingly, he turned to Sadie. "What do you think, Sadie?" he asked. "Which trial should we take first?"

"Can you not even make your own decisions?" she sneered.

"I just wanted to give you some say in where we go from here," Eizen told her frankly. "It seems like we're mostly just dragging you around all over the place, and that's not really fair to you."

"Hmph." She folded her arms and looked away. "Lord Zaveid is the Prime Lord, yes? It would only be right that we take his trial first."

"Alright," Eizen nodded. "Wind it is."

"To the Guinevere Shrine, then," Edna said. "Let's get out of Pendrago; I'll show you the way from there." With that, she returned to rest within Eizen, shortly followed by Zaveid.

"The Guinevere Shrine…?" Sadie repeated softly.

Everyone ignored her, and they started walking.


	11. Rising Up

It took Eizen less than five minutes to get completely lost. Pendrago was huge, the streets crowded and labyrinthine and all almost identical, and there were random dead ends everywhere. He tried to go in the direction he thought they had come from, but to no avail; soon, he couldn't even find his way back to the Pendrago Shrinechurch, the walls of the surrounding buildings too high and close for him to make out any landmarks in the distance in any direction.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Sadie demanded eventually.

"No, Sadie, I don't," Eizen sighed, already frustrated enough. "Do you?"

"I'm not your tour guide, hellion-spawn," she snapped.

"Didn't we decide a couple of days ago that you were going to stop calling me hellion-spawn?" Eizen asked her, exasperated. "I thought you agreed to call me by my name."

"I never agreed to that," she retorted. "You made me call you by your name because I was asking you a question."

"Sadie, _please_…"

"I'm not going to dirty my tongue with your name, wretch," Sadie spat.

_Zaveid and I call Eizen by his name,_ Edna pointed out. _If it isn't demeaning for a seraph, it shouldn't be demeaning for you. Or do you think you're better than us?_

"Of course not, Lady Edna!" Sadie squeaked. "But-"

_Then cut the "hellion-spawn" crap and call Eizen by his name,_ Edna stated. She emerged from her place in Eizen's chest to manifest in front of Sadie and added, "As a seraph, I command it of you, lowly human."

Zaveid chuckled at the back of Eizen's mind, and Sadie flushed. "I…I want nothing more than to do as you command, Lady Edna," she stammered, bowing. "But-"

"But nothing," Edna said coldly. "Call Eizen 'hellion-spawn' again and you'll be disregarding the will of the seraphim."

"Take it easy, Edna," Eizen said, recognizing the telltale signs that Sadie was going to start breaking down soon.

Before the conversation could continue further, a sudden voice above them called out, "Edna?! Is that you?!"

Everyone turned and looked up. On the rooftop of a nearby building stood a woman with shoulder-length vibrant green hair that was frosted white at the ends; though her clothes were white with green patterns, like most seraphim, instead of robes, she wore a fitted t-shirt and tight ankle-length pants tucked into solid boots. Without waiting for a response, she leapt off the rooftop with a summersault to land next to the group, beaming at Edna.

"It _is_ you!" the wind seraph said brightly. "Hey, Edna! I haven't seen you in forever! What are you doing way out here?"

Zaveid emerged from his spot within Eizen's chest. "Well hello, baby," he said without missing a beat. "Edna, please introduce us to your lovely friend here."

The green-haired woman burst out laughing, as though Zaveid had just told the funniest joke she'd ever heard. "You haven't changed a bit, Zaveid!" she chortled, fondness in her voice.

"Do we know you?" Edna asked tonelessly. "Seriously, I have no idea who you are, and I don't think Zaveid does either."

"Huh?" The mystery seraph blinked, looking almost offended. Then, a moment later, she laughed again, apparently at herself this time. "Oh, right," she said, "silly me. See, my name is Aline, but you guys would know me better by my true name: Wilkis Wilk."

"Wilkis Wilk?" Zavied repeated, frowning; he appeared baffled, but Eizen couldn't shake the feeling he'd heard that name before. "No, sorry, that's not ringing any bells…"

"That's because you never bothered learning the true names of Sorey's Squires," Edna said flatly before turning back to Aline. "Lailah mentioned you," she went on. "You're Rose, right?"

"I mean…" Aline's smile dimmed. "I'm not really Rose. But, I _was_ her, once - I have her memories, at least."

"Rose?" Eizen repeated.

Edna glanced at him. "Yeah," she said. "Eizen, this is _Rose_. You know, the Prime Squire after Sorey sealed himself with Maotelus? That Rose."

"_That_ Rose?!" Eizen gasped, amazed. He stared at the woman who had once been a hero of legend. _Humans were sometimes reborn as malakhim,_ he remembered, thinking back on his parents' story; _I guess that didn't change when Maotelus arose. Incredible…a hero of legend, reborn as a seraph, and right here in front of me…_

"Rose?!" Zaveid was exclaiming, delighted. "Is that really you, babe? I didn't know you were reborn!"

"Maybe if you'd taken more time to talk to Lailah when you visited her, you would've known," Edna said pointedly.

"It's so good to see you guys again," Aline said happily. "I'm sorry I haven't run into you before now…but, I've been busy."

"Busy with what?" Zaveid asked. "Something more important than me? That hurts, sweetheart."

"_Stop_!"

The sudden shout drew everyone's attention to Sadie, who, Eizen immediately noticed, looked like she was about to snap again; her brown eyes were darting between Aline, Zaveid, and Edna, her face twisted with confusion that looked like it bordered on pain.

"I…I don't understand," the Squire whimpered. "Rose, the hero of legend, was…she was a human, and her name was Rose. This wind seraph said her name is Lady Aline. I don't understand…"

"Sometimes, when a human dies, they can be reborn as a seraph," Eizen told Sadie gently. "No one knows what causes it, but…it happens. Apparently it's more likely for humans with high innate resonance, so…I mean, I guess it makes sense that Rose qualified for rebirth."

"But a human reborn as a seraph isn't the same person they were as a human," Edna added. "The change fundamentally alters a person's soul; most of the time, they don't even keep their human memories…though you said you did, Aline?"

"Yeah," Aline nodded, "I have all of Rose's memories."

"And you say you kept her true name, too, but not her common name?" Zaveid asked. "Odd…usually, when a human is reborn, either they keep their name, or they don't…"

"I'm guessing it's just a weird side effect of a human with a true name being reborn," Edna shrugged. "That probably doesn't happen very often."

"I'm sorry for the confusion," Aline told Sadie, offering her a gentle smile. Her smile faded, and she added, "But, um…what was that about Rose being a hero of legend?"

"You're kind of a big deal, babe," Zaveid informed the wind seraph with a grin. "Your name and legacy are taught in history classes across Glenwood. Hell, I think even some folks on the far continent have heard of you, since trade routes opened between us. You know about that, right?"

"Yeah, I actually just got back from a trip to the far continent about a week ago," Aline replied. "It was really rewarding to help ships sail across the ocean smoothly for the last couple decades, but I wasn't finding any leads on my big mission, so I decided to head inland to keep looking."

"Big mission?" Zaveid questioned.

"Last I heard, she was on a quest to find Arma Dylan for Lailah," Edna said. "But that was a couple hundred years ago. Have you still not found him?" she asked Aline.

Cold blossomed in Eizen's gut at the mention of the former Prime Lord. "No," Aline sighed heavily, and something about her response told Eizen that she was unaware of Lailah's fate. "I can't find any trace of him anywhere. I don't think he's dead, but…he's just vanished." She shook her head, then smiled again. "But, I'm not gonna give up! I'm gonna make Lailah's dream come true, no matter what it takes."

No one spoke. Eizen thought he might vomit if he opened his mouth.

"…Hey…what's going on?" Aline asked, her smile dimming as she looked between the four allies. "What'd I say?"

"You don't know," Zaveid said softly.

"Know what?"

"Lady Aline," Sadie said formally, stepping forward, "I…I am truly sorry to inform you of this, but…Lady Lailah is no more."

Aline blinked. "No more?"

"There's a new Lord of Calamity," Eizen said, finding his voice at last. "She turned Lailah into a dragon, and Mikleo, too. The Shepherd of Legend, Sorey, who recently returned to us…is dead, by her hand." _Might as well get it all out of the way._

At first, the wind seraph didn't seem to really understand what Eizen had said; her magenta eyes gave a long, slow blink, her expression blank. "Lailah…" she breathed. "Mikleo…and…Sorey…?"

"I'm sorry," Eizen told her. "I…I'm so sorry. I know you and Sorey were close…and, if you've been helping seafarers for two decades, you wouldn't know that he came back recently, so I…" He shook his head. "I'm really sorry."

"Sorey…Lailah…" Aline swayed, then dropped to her knees, horror lighting in her eyes as comprehension dawned.

No one spoke for a long, long minute. What could anyone say?

"…What happened?" Aline finally whispered.

"Almost twenty years ago, Sorey came back, and Maotelus too," Edna replied. "As soon as he came and found us…well, you remember that hellion with the swords who kept asking us if Maotelus was back yet?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean that guy who got all up in arms because of Rose's fighting style?" Aline responded. "Yeah, I remember him."

"That's right!" Eizen gasped. "You knew my father! Or Rose did…"

"Your father?" Aline asked, surprised.

"Yeah, well, he found us when Sorey did," Edna went on, "and then we went and called on Maotelus, who took us down into the earthpulse where his not-exactly-girlfriend was trapped with Innominat. He broke the seal, freeing her, and also Innominat, whom Maotelus consumed, taking on all his power - that's why all humans can see us now, I'm sure you've noticed that?"

"Yeah," Aline replied, "I thought that was weird, how everyone could suddenly see me." Incredibly, she smiled slightly. "I was so used to being a ghost."

Zaveid laughed, and even Edna giggled a little; Eizen wondered what the joke was. "Anyway, Rokurou and Velvet eventually figured out that they didn't want to be hellions anymore, and Maotelus purified them and gave them human bodies because they were old friends and stuff, so they could live human lives," Edna continued. "They got married and had three kids. And then…" The earth seraph's face fell. "Recently, one of those kids became a new Lord of Calamity. Sorey tried to quell her, with only Lailah and Mikleo backing him up, and she took them all down."

"Wait wait wait," Aline said quickly, getting to her feet again, "you mean that the hellion Rose said we should help fathered a new Lord of Calamity?"

"It wasn't like that!" Eizen exclaimed, stepping forward. "My dad didn't _want_ her to turn, neither did my mom, none of us did! Niko just…she kind of went nuts when she found out our parents' story, and got obsessed with this idea that malevolence makes people immortal; she never listened to any of us, she burned our house down and nearly killed us when she turned! Rose - Aline - you didn't help a monster, I swear!"

Aline stared at Eizen, and he felt his face get hot. "You," she said slowly, "are…the Lord of Calamity's brother, and that hellion's son?"

"He's not-" Eizen cut off, remembering as he spoke that his father actually _was_ a hellion again now, thanks to his sister. "He wasn't a hellion when I was growing up," he revised. "He's just…my father. My sister corrupted him again after she turned, but…I'm not the son of a hellion, it's not like that."

"Yeah, no, I get that," Aline said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I just don't remember the guy's name."

"His name's Rokurou," Edna offered. "Don't worry, it took me a while to learn his name too. It's a weird name."

"Anyway," Aline went on, "what I meant to say is…he fathered a Lord of Calamity, but he also fathered a Shepherd. And you became the Shepherd, even though the Lord of Calamity is your sister?"

"You knew I was the Shepherd?" Eizen asked, surprised.

"Of course!" Aline said brightly. "It's obvious just from looking at you, you radiate strength and purity." She smiled. "I guess if you're his son, Rose wasn't wrong to let him live after all. Some humans are just…" The wind seraph shrugged. "…born bad, I guess."

"Yeah," Eizen said softly. "I became the Shepherd because…she's already done enough. Sorey always told us that the Shepherd stands alone between the light and the dark, and I didn't want anyone else to have to suffer because of my sister. So I stepped forward to stop her myself."

"That's really noble of you," Aline remarked. "I can tell you're a good guy. Hey, what's your name?"

"My name's Eizen," Eizen replied.

"Eizen?" Aline repeated, turning to Edna. "Isn't that the same name as-?"

"He was named after my older brother," Edna answered before Aline could ask.

"Oh yeah!" Aline exclaimed, "I remember now, that hellion guy was friends with your brother!"

"I've actually been living with the family since just Velvet and Rokurou were purified," Edna went on.

"We're one big, happy family!" Zaveid grinned.

"You too, Zaveid?" Aline asked. Her gaze panned across the four heroes once, and she gave a resigned smile. "Well…I'm glad to hear that, at least. But Sorey…" The smile dropped, her magenta eyes darkening. "Sorey…dead…and Lailah is…"

"A dragon," Edna finished. "Yeah. And so's Mikleo. If you've seen two dragons flying around with hellions on their backs, that's Lailah and Mikleo, along with the Lord of Calamity, Niko…and her father."

"Huh?"

"Like I said, my sister corrupted our father when she turned," Eizen explained. "He…He serves her now, and so do the dragons who used to be Lailah and Mikleo. We don't know how she's controlling any of them, but she is somehow. It seems like she's holding something over my father, and the dragons…well, we don't know how she's controlling them."

"I see," Aline said slowly. "Alright, I think I'm getting it. So, just one more question: If Lailah's gone, where's your Prime Lord?"

"You're looking at him!" Zaveid said proudly. "I became the Prime Lord after Lailah fell."

"Really?" Aline asked. "I didn't know wind seraphim could be Prime Lords."

"Any seraph can do it, as long as they're willing," Zaveid said. "Everyone else was too scared to step up, so I took the job myself."

"Uh-huh." Aline tilted her head, then shook it. "I…Okay…I'm sorry, this is a lot to take in…"

"Sorry you had to find out like this," Edna said. "It's too bad you didn't get to see Sorey again, I'm sure he would have loved to know you were reborn."

"Yeah…" Aline looked at the ground, her eyes glistening. "I…I had hoped that, when he came back, I'd get to ask him…what his last words to me were. I couldn't hear them. And now I won't be able to ask…"

"Listen, Aline, I…I'm really sorry," Eizen said lamely. "But, uh…we were just on our way to try to take the trials of the elements, at least the ones we can take right now…but we got lost. Hey, can you show us the way out of Pendrago?"

"Oh, you're lost?" Aline asked brightly; for some reason, all her gloominess evaporated. "I'd be delighted to help you out! Helping people is my business, after all! Follow me!"

"I thought killing people was your business," Edna teased as Aline started walking briskly down the road they'd been following; Eizen felt a wash of relief as they started following their new guide out of the massive city.

"Killing people was _Rose's_ business," Aline said coldly. "I'm not Rose."

"You _were_ Rose," Zaveid pointed out.

"Yeah," Aline sighed, "but I'm not Rose now. Honestly, I…I kind of hate Rose. I mean, who did she think she was, acting like she had the right to decide who deserved to live and who deserved to die? She was a monster, by her own logic! Like, remember that time she told you guys, 'killing is a sin, and anyone who doesn't understand that is a monster'? Meanwhile, she was _happiest_ when she was killing people! And sure, she tried to justify it by looking into her targets and seeing if they were good people or not, but I mean…she was just a hypocrite, and a murderer! A thug! Not to mention that she never really thought about anything, living on instinct alone…"

"Lady Aline," Sadie spoke up as they rounded a corner, "I'm sorry, but…what are you talking about? Rose was a hero; she founded the Scattered Bones, yes, but we know now that the assassins' guild operates with a strict code of honor - only rogues who disobeyed Rose's orders killed senselessly or just for money, and they were strictly punished. Besides, Rose took on Shepherd Sorey's mantle while he worked to purify the Great Lord Maotelus, recruiting people with resonance as Squires under her and dedicating her life to the purification of the land so the Great Lord of Lords could one day return. She was…well, she was a hero. Many people look up to her, even today."

"Hero worship much?" Edna asked Sadie snidely.

"Look, I won't deny that Rose did some good things in her life," Aline conceded. "A lot of good things, even. But as a person, she was so…blind. She's lucky her intuition was so sharp, but even then, the fact that she enjoyed leading a band of assassins speaks to the dark side of her nature. I…I'm not proud to have been her in a past life. When I realized what had happened - that I'd been reborn - I decided to dedicate myself to making up for Rose's sins, to making the most of my second chance, you know?

"Nothing wrong with making the most of a second chance," Zaveid remarked in a dirty tone.

Unsurprisingly, Edna gave her Prime Lord a swift jab in the side with her umbrella.

"It's too bad you were reborn as a wind seraph," Eizen said after a moment. "Without Lailah and Mikleo, we're short a fire seraph and a water seraph, and we could really have used your help if you'd been one of those."

"I'm sorry," Aline said, glancing over her shoulder to give Eizen a deeply remorseful look. "I didn't ask to be a wind seraph…I didn't ask to be reborn at all. Honestly, I can't help but wonder if I was only reborn because Dezel was watching over me."

"Hey, I didn't think it was your fault!" Eizen exclaimed. "I didn't mean it like…Look, you have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't have mentioned it. I'm sorry."

"What's with all the apologizing?" Zaveid asked. "No one here has anything to be sorry for."

"Besides you," Edna growled at him.

Aline laughed. "Gods, I missed you guys," she told Edna and Zaveid fondly. "I wish I could go with you. But, you know, you already have a wind seraph on your side, so…"

"We missed you too," Zaveid told her. "At least, I know I did-_OW_!" He cried out as Edna stabbed him again. "The hell was that for?!"

"For being you," Edna replied coldly.

Their guide laughed again, and then they rounded a bend and found themselves looking out on the entrance to the city, a short staircase straight ahead that would take them into the plaza from which they could leave. "Here we are!" Aline told them cheerfully.

"Thank you so much, Aline," Eizen told her, relieved. "Listen, I'm really sorry, but we have to go; my sister's a terror, and-"

"Hey, I get it," Aline shrugged; "go take down the Lord of Calamity and save the world, gentle Shepherd. I can talk with Zaveid and Edna any time after we're all safe."

"Thank you," Eizen said again.

"Don't mention it!" Aline reassured him, her lips curled into a catlike smile. "I'll see you guys around. Good luck!"

"What will you do?" Edna asked her.

"I…" Aline sighed. "I think I'm going to keep looking for Arma Dylan. Even if Lailah's gone, I can at least tell him that he had a huge fan in her once. Hey, if you guys find anything, _anything_ about where he might be now, let me know, yeah?"

"We'll keep an eye out," Zaveid assured her.

"Thanks, guys," Aline said.

"It was nice to meet you, Aline," Eizen told her.

"Yeah, likewise!" Aline responded brightly.

Everyone turned to go.

"Hey, Eizen?"

Eizen stopped, as did his allies, and he turned back to the wind seraph who had once been a dark hero. "Yes?"

Aline's head was tilted, and her magenta eyes seemed oddly sharp. "I'm sorry you have to fight your sister," she said, "but…well, I try not to rely on instinct as much as Rose did, but my instinct says that as long as you push through, something really good is gonna happen."

"Something really good like what?" Edna inquired.

"I dunno," Aline shrugged. "But I think, as long as you don't give up, when this is all over, you're gonna leave the world better than it was when you came into it." She smiled. "I dunno, it just felt like something I needed to say. Hurry up and go take the trials already! I'll see you around."

"Yes, I…thank you, Aline," Eizen repeated. "I…yes. Thank you."

With that awkward farewell, he turned and headed for the exit to Pendrago; behind him, Zaveid and Edna waved to Aline before coming to rest within his chest, and Sadie followed behind.

~X~

_Follow the hills to your left,_ Edna told Eizen as they emerged into the wilderness outside the massive city's walls. _Westronbolt Gorge isn't hard to miss._

_Thanks, big sis,_ he told her, still shaken by the chance encounter they'd had. Fighting hellions was almost meditative for him as they began traversing Pearloats Pasture, heading for the rougher terrain to the west.

_Hey by the way, Edna, _Zaveid remarked, and Eizen got the sense Sadie couldn't hear him, _nicely done handling Sadie earlier. __That whole "will of the seraphim" thing even had me going._

_Yeah, I can't believe it took me this long to try it,_ Edna sniffed._ She's stupid, but she's going to be fun to toy with._

_Edna, please don't,_ Eizen thought at her. _I appreciate the gesture, but…it's not her fault, okay? She was raised to think this way, she can't help it. We need to ease her in slowly, not take advantage of her._

_Aw, c'mon, let us have a _little_ fun,_ Zaveid urged, though Eizen could hear the smile in his voice.

_No, uncle,_ Eizen responded before Edna could express the overwhelming anger and disgust the Shepherd felt coming from her. _Especially not you._

_What's that supposed to mean?_

A hellion fight interrupted the conversation, and Eizen chose not to continue it. His mind kept drifting back to Aline, a fleeting conversation with a hero of legend who knew his father from the days before his mother was freed from the earthpulse. There were questions he wished he'd asked, things he wished he'd said…but, there was no sense dwelling on that now. _I have a duty,_ he reminded himself; _taking the trials and acquiring the spiritual powers of the elements is my main focus, nothing matters more than stopping Niko._

Yet his mind kept wandering.

_Stop it. Focus now, think later._

Slowly, the ground underfoot turned barren and rocky; just as slowly, the encounter with Aline was filed away in Eizen's mind, set aside so he could focus on what was important. Then, around a corner, Eizen and Sadie were met with the sight of a treacherous valley made of narrow ledges and thin rock bridges carved out by the whipping winds over a seemingly-bottomless abyss.

_It's just through here,_ Edna informed them. _Don't worry about the path crumbling, I'll prevent that; just keep to the rock faces and watch your step when you fight the hellions._

"There are hellions here?" Eizen exclaimed.

_There are hellions everywhere, in case you haven't noticed,_ Zaveid said pointedly. _It's inevitable, especially with the Lord of Calamity on the loose. Just take care not to fall, and you'll be fine._

There were indeed hellions as they made their way along the winding, narrow outcroppings of stone, leeches and trolls and goblins that rode little catapults on wheels. Ironically, the Rangetsu style lent itself well to the terrain - Eizen couldn't dodge to the side very much, and blocking ran the risk of knocking him off-balance, but dancing around with the moves his father had taught him meant he was rarely in danger. Sadie had a harder time of it, but she pushed through well enough, and of course Edna and Zaveid had no troubles; they forged their way through the ravine, turning left when the path split into two, and then, slowly, the chasm ended, leaving solid, even ground. Edna and Zaveid emerged as they rounded a corner and were faced with the sight of a tall, ornate tower.

"Ahh, this place brings back memories," Zaveid sighed contentedly, and Eizen stopped short to look at him as he turned a smile on Edna. "Ain't that right, babe?"

"Does it?" Edna asked tonelessly.

"Sure!" Zaveid grinned. "Right here is the first time I ever saw you away from the Spiritcrest, after you teamed up with Sorey. You remember, doncha?"

"Oh yeah," Edna said flatly, "I remember now. As I recall, you were trying to destroy the hellion that was vital to the Wind Trial, and when we stopped you, you attacked us instead."

"That's right! You smacked me around pretty good," Zaveid chuckled. "I didn't know you could fight like that, and I was mighty impressed. Yeah…" He smiled up at the tower, heaving another contented sigh. "Good times…"

"What a stupid thing to get sentimental about," Edna muttered.

"So this tower is…" Eizen said slowly.

"Welcome to the Guinevere Shrine, home of the Wind Trial," Edna told him. "Don't bother with those stairs along the outside, you'll find the trial through the front doors."

"What are those stairs for?" Eizen asked, eyeing the narrow, crumbling stone ramps that led up and around the massive building.

"So humans can get to the top and give their lives to the seraphim or something stupid like that," Edna replied.

"So this _is_ that shrine!" Sadie gasped from behind them. "I thought so when you said the name, but I didn't know it served a secondary purpose as a trial for Shepherds!"

Everyone turned to her; her brown eyes were wide as she gazed up at the tower.

"Sadie…you've heard of this place?" Eizen asked her.

"Of course!" Sadie replied brightly. "Any true devotee of the seraphim knows about this tower. It is said that those who throw themselves from the top will grant the seraphim all the strength of their life force, and in return be absolved of all their sins and misdoings in life and gifted with eternal happiness in heaven."

Zaveid folded his arms and chuckled. "Whoever came up with that is a real piece of work," he remarked. "What kinda sicko makes up something like that, just to convince humans to die pointlessly?"

"Pointlessly?" Sadie repeated, turning to Zaveid in alarm. "But Lord Zaveid, as a seraph, you must know the truth of the legend! You - you've surely accepted sacrifices from this place yourself over the centuries, haven't you?"

"Wait, you mean you actually believe in that crap?!" Zaveid exclaimed, and he laughed. "Sadie, sweetheart, that ain't how it works."

"Huh?" Sadie blinked.

"It's true that we seraphim can draw strength from humans," Zaveid explained, "but not from their deaths. It's your prayers that lend us power, your faith in us - that's why Lords of the Land need devotees to maintain their blessings. But a dead human is of no use to us. We can't make use of their life force or whatever - a dead human doesn't have any. You want to lend us support? You gotta be alive to do it."

"But…but…" Sadie spluttered, her cheeks turning bright red. "But…but it's such an important and prevalent legend! So many people have given their lives to your kind here!"

"And I'm tellin' ya, it's all been for nothing," Zaveid stated.

She shook her head manically, and Eizen again recognized the telltale signs that she was on the verge of a breakdown, though this time, he couldn't fathom why. "Sadie, does it really matter?" he asked her. "We can't do anything about anyone else who's jumped off of this tower…"

"Coming here has always been my greatest dream," Sadie whispered, and Eizen's blood ran cold. "There is nothing I want more than to eventually give my life to the seraphim."

"You want to die?!" Eizen exclaimed.

"No!" she responded. "No, but…but I want to show my devotion to the seraphim, give them some use out of my lowly human life. Lord Zaveid," she said desperately, turning on the Prime Lord again, "are you absolutely sure that the sacrifices here-?"

"All for nothing," Zaveid repeated firmly. "A dead human is just a dead human - gone, boom, nothing to it. Even all that talk about being absolved of your sins and all that? Nonsense. If it was that easy, well…" He shrugged. "It ain't. Trust me."

Sadie's eyes squeezed shut, and Eizen was alarmed to see a tear track down her face. "Sadie," he said, as gently as he could, "what's wrong? Why is this so…so upsetting?"

Shaking her head violently, she opened her glistening eyes and glared at him. "I wouldn't expect a selfish, corrupted soul like _yours_ to understand!" she snapped.

Whether he was selfish and corrupted or not, one thing was certain: Eizen really and truly did not understand. He stared at her, trying to think of something to say, something that would somehow make her feel better, or at least clarify what was going on. Nothing came.

"Heh heh heh."

Zaveid's sudden chuckle drew Eizen's attention, and he looked over to see the wind seraph tip his hat and saunter over to the crying human girl.

"I think I get it," he said, and he draped an arm over Sadie's shoulder and leaned on her.

The Squire looked up at Zaveid, apparently shocked at his nearness.

"Sadie, babe, this world we live in is ruthless and unforgiving," Zaveid said matter-of-factly. "Life is damn good at telling cruel, sick jokes, and it's gonna tell 'em whenever it gets a chance, at the expense of as many people as possible, that's just how it goes. Unfortunately, no matter how you slice it, to live is to suffer…and, well, I hate to have to be the one to break it to ya, but there is no easy way out. There's no magic portal or secret ritual that can make it all just go away. If there was, I'd've taken it a long time ago."

"But-But Lord Zaveid, you're a seraph!" Sadie exclaimed. "What could a divine seraph possibly know about pain?"

"More than you can ever imagine," Zaveid replied grimly. Then he cracked another lopsided grin and went on, "Now, it's true that death is a kind of salvation, for some…hell, maybe for everyone, in the end. But taking your own life?" His smile dropped. "That's something else entirely. The way I see it, that's just the punch line that every single one of life's cruel, sick jokes is always trying to build up to. I wouldn't be surprised if, when you kill yourself, the last thing you hear is the smug, self-satisfied laughter of this cold, cruel world as it takes delight in knowing that it beat you, that it won. And I don't know about you, but I don't wanna give this world that kinda satisfaction…nor would I want it to get that kinda thrill from anyone else, either. Ya feel me?"

"Uncle Zaveid, you…you've really thought about this," Eizen said softly, the corners of his eyes stinging.

"Yeah, well, y'know," Zaveid dismissed, shrugging off of his perch on Sadie's shoulder to stretch languidly, "in passing. I'm a seraph who's lived over two thousand years, I've had a lot of time to think about…things."

A sad whimper caused Eizen to glance over at his big sis, and he saw that she herself was on the verge of tears, just before she tilted her umbrella to hide her face.

Silence stretched between the comrades for a long minute. To Eizen's left, Sadie was furiously trying to wipe her cheeks clear of moisture; in front of him, his uncle stood with his back to the group, tense muscles along his bare shoulders speaking of pain he would never discuss; and to his right, Edna struggled with her own urge to cry, ducking under her umbrella so no one would see her weakness. Eizen stood among them, turning his gaze from one to the next and back again, and felt completely and utterly helpless. Life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, he knew that full well, but the weight that hung on his companions now was like nothing he could ever fathom.

He thought of his mother, who had lost everything, barely managed to eke out a new life, and then seemed to lose that second chance too, and how it had broken her down beyond even malevolence. He thought of General Donovan in Lastonbell, shouting at him about the pains of living in a society, of the constant struggle in obscurity most humans had to face for their whole lives. He thought of Celica, born with a disease that doomed her to a short, weak life, without having done anything to deserve it. Cruel, sick jokes indeed…cruel, sick jokes that Eizen didn't understand. He had never suffered like that before. Sure, he'd lost his home, seen most of his family turn into monsters, and was despised by the girl he'd loved since the age of four, but none of that really felt heavy to him, none of that felt like it could begin to compare to the burdens his companions seemed to be shouldering. The only thing that came close was killing General Donovan, ending a man's life, but though that weighed on him, it wasn't enough to make him desire death, not even a little.

_I really don't know anything,_ he thought. _Or rather…I don't _understand_ anything. Knowing and understanding aren't the same thing. I know Zaveid lost the love of his life, I know Edna lost her older brother, I know my mom lost her whole family, but I don't know what that feels like. If to live truly is to suffer…_

_"__Pain and death are all that await those who won't embrace malevolence, and he would have everyone suffer and die for his silly ideals!"_

Niko's words, the speech she'd repeatedly made every time he'd seen her - not just since she turned, but before then as well - came back to him now. Was this what she was talking about? This pain he didn't understand? If he didn't understand it, who was he to say…?

_No._ Eizen clenched his fists. _Life may be cruel sometimes, but that doesn't mean it's not worth living to its fullest. I don't have to know how dark things can get to understand that. It's like uncle Zaveid said, there is no quick and easy way out; not death, and certainly not malevolence. Niko is wrong._

Yet the minutes ticked by, and no one who did understand seemed willing to break the silence.

Finally, awkwardly, Eizen cleared his throat. Everyone jumped where they stood, as though they'd all been far away in their minds. They probably had.

"Listen," Eizen sighed as all the attention turned on him, "I…I'm sorry. For all of you, for whatever burdens you carry. I wish there was something I could do, for any of you."

"There ain't," Zaveid informed him.

"I know," Eizen said, "and I'm sorry for that too. But…well…we did come here for a reason: we need to obtain the blessing of Lord Hyanoa. Can we…go do that? Please?"

"Sure thing," Zaveid shrugged, vanishing to rest within Eizen's chest.

Edna followed suit without a word, and Eizen stepped towards the tower. When Sadie didn't immediately follow, he stopped and turned to her. "Sadie…are you going to come?" he asked. "Or would you rather stay down here?"

"And leave something so important to someone like _you_?" she scoffed, her expression hardening with hatred. "No. If I don't keep an eye on you, you'll doom us all."

It was better than seeing her cry, at least, and Eizen suppressed a sigh as they finally opened the doors and entered the sacred Guinevere Shrine.

Immediately inside, a vast chasm split the room in half, but Eizen didn't even have to ask; he called on his uncle's power and breezed across, taking Sadie with him. On the other side, to his surprise, there were hellions, if only a few, but he fell into the rhythm of battle without hesitation, as did his comrades. Then, there was nothing left but a glowing panel; he and Sadie stepped onto it, and it brought them up to the next floor.

Here, things got a little more complicated: instead of a solid floor with a gap, there were incomplete stone pathways that separated from each other like stepping stones, and huge metal doors that blocked passage forward sometimes, as well as the occasional hellion. Also, here and there, they found odd windmills that sang of the power of the Great Lord Hyanoa.

_How do I turn these?_ Eizen asked his seraphim as he approached one.

_Same way you cross gaps,_ Zaveid replied: _become the wind._

_Right._

Casting Silver Wind, Eizen transferred the power of his wind seraph to the windmill, and it spun; a door nearby rose, allowing them to continue.

_Hey Edna, you said there was something you said to Dezel here five hundred years ago, right?_ Zaveid asked as they proceeded. _What was it, again?_

_I said, "__It really gets the job done, that spinny mist thing,"_ Edna replied, an oddly grumpy edge to her toneless voice. _His response was so incredibly boring, I had to say it multiple times before he even realized I was trying to get a response out of him._

_What did he say? I'm curious._

_He just said "It is the Wind Trial, after all."_

Rising up on another panel, Eizen heard Zaveid's laughter at the back of his mind. _Yeah, that fellow was always a stick in the mud,_ the wind seraph chuckled, sounding oddly nostalgic.

_Indeed,_ Edna concurred, _Dezel was reserved and serious, not to mention well-meaning.__ Hard to believe he was raised by someone like you._

_Well, that's a bit of a low blow,_ Zaveid remarked. _But to be fair, it might be a stretch to say I _raised _him; h__e just kinda latched onto me as a kid, after your brother and I rescued him from some hellions…and I mean, he was a kid, what was I supposed to do, throw him to the wolves? I gave him his own pendulums, let him copy me when I fought…sure, I took him under my wing, but we weren't that close. Mostly, the fact that I was taking care of a child made me exceptionally appealing to the ladies._

Eizen snorted, and though he couldn't be sure over the sound of Silver Wind carrying him across a gap, he thought he heard Sadie make a slight choking sound too. Below the hollow of his throat, he felt a surge of Edna's disgust; it was stronger than he would have expected, even of her, but he didn't comment on it.

_I tried to get him to loosen up a little,_ Zaveid went on, _but he just wouldn't have it, and after he was too big for the ladies to coo over, he made a terrible wingman…so, I handed him off to this other wind seraph I knew in passing, Lafarga, and never saw him again, until we ran into each other right here at this tower._

_So you ditched him because he couldn't help you manipulate women anymore?_ Edna asked disgustedly.

_Ouch! Come on, Edna, that's harsh!_ Zaveid protested. _I didn't _ditch _him, __I just introduced him to someone who had more patience for company than me, that's all. He could take care of himself by then, I made sure of that much, and Lafarga was a good guy, they bonded immediately. Like I said, we weren't close…and c'mon, babe, you know me, I don't stick with the same people for too long. I go where the wind takes me._

"You've stayed with us, though," Eizen remarked.

_Well, I have and I haven't, y'know?_ Zaveid responded. _Sure, I always came back for a visit, but it's not like I lived with y'all, except when we were waiting for Cellie to be born…and even that was pretty hard on me, to be honest._

_Boo hoo for you,_ Edna sneered. _If you hadn't passed Dezel on to Lafarga, it's likely that neither of them would be dead now._

Absolute, horrified shock radiated from where Zaveid lived in Eizen's chest; he didn't even retaliate. An entire floor of the shrine passed in utter silence, save the occasional hellion fights, and Eizen quickly became uncomfortable at the tension between his seraphim. He waited for his big sis to apologize or qualify her statement, but she did neither.

"Edna," he sighed on the next ride up, "I don't know the people you're talking about, but don't you think that was a little…mean?"

_It's true,_ she shrugged.

Pain lanced through Eizen's chest from where his uncle rested, and he winced as they kept making their way through the trial. _Please, Edna,_ he thought at her privately, _please don't just leave it at that. You've really hurt him._

Heaving a sigh for Eizen alone, she opened her thoughts to the others and added, _But on the other hand, then Rose would have married Prince Konan, the Scattered Bones would never have been formed, and no one would have been around to rescue Sorey from Kittybeard during that fight in Glaivend Basin. Your negligence may have cost two wind seraphim their lives, but it's also the reason the world as a whole was saved from absolute chaos five hundred years ago, so…you know, it wasn't _all _pointless. Their deaths served the greater good in the end._

_Yeah,_ Zaveid sighed, _ain't that how it goes? Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes…_ Still, Edna's concession seemed to have had some effect, and the tension eased slightly as they finished climbing up through the tower and found themselves at a door that could only lead outside. Something was going on between his seraphim, Eizen knew that much, but it was their business, and he didn't pry.

"Are we…supposed to go out there?" he asked instead, gesturing to the door they'd reached.

_Yep,_ Edna replied. _Don't worry, the stairs out there are in much better condition than the ones at the bottom, you'll be safe if you watch your step._

Eizen glanced at Sadie, but his Squire was expressionless. Knowing he couldn't say anything that wouldn't just make her upset, he opened the door and stepped outside, Sadie right behind him.

o~X~o

_The top of the Guinevere Shrine._

Sadie had always dreamed of coming here. As they stepped out onto the stone steps that would take them to the top and began the final ascent, she gazed out at the scenery. It was more barren than she'd imagined it would be.

_Not that that matters._

In her fantasies, she'd always been a proud, grown woman whose usefulness had outlived itself, ready to do one last good deed in giving her life force to the seraphim after a lifetime spent fighting hellions and birthing children of noble blood. Now, that dream would never come true; Lord Zaveid had insisted that, even here, a human's death served no purpose to the seraphim, that it was those who _lived_ that gave seraphim strength. Maybe it was better than asking her to believe that there was no way to lend the holy seraphim power, but she had held this dream for so long, only for it all to crumble away.

Still, even with that dream dead, she had a duty to attend: as a Squire, it was up to her to ensure that her hellion-spawn Shepherd didn't fail the trials set forth by the Great Lords. When they had climbed the last of the steps and reached the very top of the tower, there, alone on the vast expanse of the roof, was a massive hellion that seemed to burn with sheer malevolence: a headless knight on a skeleton horse, tattered and black and evil, as all hellions were.

Just another fight. Sadie's heart soared as she drew her battleax, its weight the most comforting presence she knew in this world. Even if the seraphim had forbidden her to kill, beating the malevolence out of hellions was a rush she wouldn't trade for anything. Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna emerged from their places within Eizen, and the four of them charged forward to fight the beast.

"Is this part of the test?" Eizen called over the sound of battle.

"Yup!" Lady Edna replied.

This one was strong, and Sadie swung her ax at the monster giddily. But then, as she dodged a blow from its long lance, she happened to spot something else, something she hadn't been able to see from where they'd arrived on the rooftop.

There were long stone walkways branching out from the tower, all of them meant - or so it had been said - for humans to plunge down from, that they might give their lives to the seraphim. If that wasn't what they were for, Sadie couldn't fathom why they even existed, but in the distance, she saw a small figure with straight blond hair and a white dress approaching one of the ledges.

Jumping away from the fight, Sadie glanced at Eizen and the seraphim; none of them had noticed the young girl walking to her death, too focused on fighting the beast that stood as their trial. That _was_ why they were there, after all…but Sadie hesitated. Eizen wouldn't care about a child's life, of course, being hellion-spawn, but maybe Lord Zaveid or Lady Edna could-

As she glanced over at the distant figure again, the child turned to look at her, and Sadie felt her heart skip a beat. Even from a distance, the little girl looked so scarily similar to…

All thoughts of battle forgotten, Sadie holstered her battleax and ran away from the battlefield towards the girl. Yes, that face, it was so similar to the one she'd only ever seen in the paintings her parents kept everywhere…maybe not an exact match, but…

"Wait!" she called as she drew close to the little girl. "Hey, wait, what do you think you're doing?"

"I've come to give myself to the holy seraphim," the child answered calmly, as though she couldn't see the fight taking place in the background. "I've trained my whole life, that my soul will be pure and good, and grant the divine spirits the power they need to protect this world."

"No, stop!" Sadie exclaimed, grabbing the girl's hand. "You're wrong! Dying won't help the seraphim!"

Brown eyes turned up to look at Sadie, so similar to those she saw when she looked in the mirror, and the girl tilted her head. "Says who?" she asked.

"T-The seraphim who brought me here," Sadie replied, and she gestured behind her to where Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna were combatting the monstrous hellion. "They told me that they can't make use of a dead human's life force. Listen, what's your name?"

"Oh…" The girl's eyes clouded over with sadness as she seemed to finally notice the fight. "They must be nephilim, then. Poor things." She turned back to Sadie. "My name's Dahlia," she said. "What's your name?"

"My name is Sadie," Sadie answered. "And…what do you mean 'nephilim'?"

"I've heard about seraphim like them," Dahlia explained. "Fallen ones, who come into being as divine spirits, but then forego their holy natures to live lives of corruption and flesh, as though they were mortal. My mentor, Lord Rook, was a fire seraph, and he warned me against their kind many times."

"They're…?" Sadie felt her eyes go wide. "They're not…holy?"

"Not them," Dahlia answered confidently. "They wouldn't be able to make use of my sacrifice. But the true seraphim, those who watch over this world and protect us from all that is evil, they are not like those seraphim."

It was so simple, a perfect explanation for everything that had happened since Sadie had been made a Squire, and she desperately wanted to believe it. To not think of Lord Zaveid or Lady Edna as true seraphim, the seraphim she'd spent her life devoting herself to, made everything easy. And yet… "But…but Lord Zaveid is the Prime Lord under the Great Lord Maotelus," she said softly. "The Great Lord of Lords granted him the power to anoint Shepherds and…and spread the power of purification."

"Lord Zaveid?" Dahlia smirked. "You mean that seraph who isn't wearing a shirt, showing off his muscles like a human man?"

"Well…" Sadie glanced back at the fight. Lord Zaveid was certainly an exhibitionist with his body, not to mention shameless and…and even something resembling depraved at times. Could that really be in line with a real seraph's true nature?

"You're a devout believer, aren't you?" Dahlia asked innocently. "Just like me. I can tell, you know better than most people what's truly of value in this world."

"I…I try to be," Sadie stammered, still reeling. _Nephilim. It's so simple. So easy. It explains everything._

_Then why does it feel so wrong?_

"Why don't you jump off the tower with me?" Dahlia asked eagerly. "Leave these nephilim to their vices and join me in what's good and true."

The girl's bright, happy face reflected exactly how Sadie had always thought she would feel upon climbing the Guinevere Shrine tower, but somehow, she couldn't muster the same enthusiasm. Something didn't feel right. She thought of Lady Edna's declaration that everyone had their own problems and had to deal with them, of Lord Isan's infatuation with Lady Edna even as he granted the area around Marlind his blessing, of Lady Aline's shame at having the memories of the legendary hero Rose despite all the good that that hero had done, of Lord Zaveid's…well, everything he'd ever said, more or less, if she was honest with herself.

And then, she thought of Lady Morgrim.

_"__To believe that you have all the answers is to be wrong, no matter who or what you are. So do not be afraid to ask questions, even the ones that frighten you, and do not be afraid to doubt what you think you know."_

Lady Morgrim, who, despite taking the form of a cat, had been more in line with what Sadie had expected of a seraph than any of the humanoid seraphim she'd interacted with. She alone had noticed Sadie, looked into her soul and given her advice to better herself. Now, Sadie was faced with questions that terrified her…and she had promised to take Lady Morgrim's advice to heart.

"How do you know about nephilim?" she asked Dahlia. "Please, tell me…tell me why I should believe you over the seraph chosen by the Great Lord Maotelus to grant the flames of purification to the world."

"I told you, Lord Rook explained it to me," Dahlia answered readily. "He's the one who raised me. I was abandoned in a shrine to the east when I was just a baby, and he took me in. He's really strong, but really gentle and wise. He told me all about what I had to do here, how it was my duty to give my life to the seraphim. You'd like him if you met him."

_"__What kinda sicko makes up something like that, just to convince humans to die pointlessly?"_ Lord Zaveid's words echoed in Sadie's mind. At the time, she had tried to suppress the thought that Lord Zaveid himself could at times be described as a sicko, but it burst out now through the weakness of her confusion…and if Lord Zaveid could be described that way, perhaps other seraphim could too. Maybe…maybe the holy seraphim really were just people…and this Lord Rook…

"Come with me," Dahlia repeated, tugging Sadie's hand as she took another step closer to the edge. "Let's both show our devotion to the holy seraphim, Sadie. The true seraphim will grant us eternal happiness in return for our sacrifice."

Sadie looked back one more time, at the seraphim who struggled with a terrible hellion, at the human who had drawn the Sacred Blade despite his blood. They believed in something better, in a world where malevolence could be purged without death, and though Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna weren't what she'd expected of seraphim…

"Come with me."

"I…" Sadie turned to Dahlia and took a breath. "…No," she said, pulling her hand free of the child's grip. "Dahlia, what if you're wrong? What if your Lord Rook just…just wanted to play a cruel, sick joke on you?"

"He wouldn't do that," Dahlia stated.

"But what if he would?" Sadie pressed. "If…If you've been raised to believe one thing your whole life…I mean, just believing something doesn't make it true, and people can be wrong in how they raise a child…" The words hurt on the way out, but she couldn't stop her tongue from shaping them.

"What should I believe in, if not the person who raised me?" Dahlia asked.

"I…I don't know," Sadie whimpered, her eyes burning. "I don't know, but…but I don't think you have all the answers, Dahlia. Maybe…maybe come back down with us, and we…we'll find something else for you to do. Some other purpose."

But Dahlia shook her head. "I feel sorry for you," she said, stepping towards the ledge. "You're clearly devout, like me, but you've spent too much time with nephilim." She sighed. "Oh well. I'll see you in heaven."

And she turned and jumped.

"No!"

Without thinking, Sadie ran forward and dove for the ledge, reaching out her hands and just barely managing to catch Dahlia's wrist.

"I won't let you do this!" Sadie shouted at her. "The seraphim need your life, and…and _you_ need your life!"

Dahlia looked up at her dispassionately, all the emotions gone from her little face. She didn't struggle.

Grunting with effort, Sadie heaved the girl back up onto the ledge. "There are better ways to serve the seraphim," she said. "If we spend our lives staying devout to them, offering them our prayers, then they will give us their blessings. Dying won't lend them strength."

Still, Dahlia didn't respond, her face a mask.

"Sadie!"

Sadie turned, and saw Eizen, Lord Zaveid, and Lady Edna running for her; there was no sign of the hellion they'd been fighting.

"What's going on?" Eizen asked breathlessly.

"This is Dahlia," Sadie explained; "she was going to jump. I…stopped her." Suddenly, it occurred to her what she had just done: turned her back on everything she believed in, all for the words of a seraph who seemed more human than her own father. Moisture welled in her eyes again. _What have I done?_

"Congratulations," Dahlia said, her voice suddenly even more empty of emotion than Lady Edna's usually was, and she stood up, breaking free of Sadie's grip with a strength no child of that size should have had. "You have passed the strength trial of Lord Hyanoa, young Shepherd…and your Squire has passed the spirit trial on your behalf."

"Huh?"

o~X~o

Eizen stared at the little girl Sadie had apparently saved. She was blond, with big brown eyes that looked oddly similar to Sadie's, and she wore nothing but a plain white dress and sandals…all of which looked remarkably untattered for someone who claimed to have climbed all the way up the outside of the tower.

Her words registered. "Spirit trial?" he repeated.

"Indeed," the girl said tonelessly. "The trials of the Great Lords are not only of strength, to ensure that you can indeed fight against malevolence, but also of spirit, to prove that you are worthy of their blessings. We couldn't think of an apt trial for your spirit, so we set it on your Squire instead." She shrugged her thin shoulders. "I didn't think it would work, but I've been wrong about humans many times before."

"Just who the hell are you?" Zaveid demanded.

"Oh! My mistake." Dahlia smirked, the expression uncanny on such a young face. "One moment," she said, and she closed her eyes.

As Eizen stared at her, her features began to shift and change. Her hair shortened and darkened to a dusty black tipped with purple, braided and tied up into pigtails by red, flower-like bows. Her skin, already fair, paled to a sickly white, and her dress darkened into a deep purple robe, bound at the waist and wrists by black belts studded with metal similar to the choker around her throat, that came down to her knees before cutting off to reveal thigh-high boots with heels. A wand tipped with a red gem was clasped in one hand, her fingernails were dyed crimson, and when she opened her eyes again, they were a purplish-red color.

Zaveid and Edna both gasped in alarm. "Symonne?!" Zaveid exclaimed, taking a defensive stance. "What the hell?!"

"At ease, Prime Lord," the seraph apparently named Symonne told Zaveid; "I am not your enemy this time. I serve Lord Hyanoa now, running this trial for any Shepherds who happen to arise."

With that, she walked past Eizen and made for the central area of the rooftop.

"I…have questions," Zaveid said dumbly.

"Same," Edna concurred, sounding equally stunned.

"You know this seraph?" Eizen asked her as Sadie stood up.

"She used to serve the Lord of Calamity, General Heldalf," Edna explained. "Last time we saw her, she was crying on the floor of a shrine dedicated to Zenrus that led out into the fallen village of Camlann."

"Then how did she end up here?" Eizen asked, turning to look at the dark seraph girl who was only a little bigger than Edna.

"That's what I wanna know," Zaveid said in a low voice, striding after her.

Everyone followed him, though Eizen's legs seemed to move entirely of their own volition, and he had a feeling it was the same for Sadie and Edna.

Symonne stopped at the center of the rooftop arena, and Zaveid walked up to glare down at her, his arms crossed. "You've got some explaining to do," he said.

"I don't need to explain anything," Symonne stated, and she gave a wicked little smirk. "Perhaps if you asked nicely, though, I would be willing to answer your questions."

"Alright then, would you _please_ explain what the hell you're doing up here?" Zaveid demanded.

She chuckled as Eizen, Sadie, and Edna joined the Prime Lord. "I was born a wind seraph," she said dispassionately, "though I have taken oaths to expand my abilities. After you destroyed my master, I had to seek new employment. Fortunately, Lord Hyanoa reached out to me, as he had use for my talents, and I chose to take him up on the offer."

"So after you tried to drown this world in malevolence, one of the Great Lords offered you a job?" Edna asked, clearly skeptical.

Magenta eyes met blue, sharp and cold. "I never did tell you about my curse, did I?" Symonne asked softly.

"I assumed it was something like the Reaper's Curse," Zaveid remarked.

"No…" She smiled, though the expression was anything but pleasant. "Mine is a far crueler burden. I carry what is known as the Hound's Curse: misfortune and failure will follow wherever I go, so long as I act of my own volition; the only way I can ever succeed at anything is by taking orders from someone more powerful than myself. The only choice I am allowed to make in my life is whose orders I follow, nothing more…and since I am quite powerful, my options are limited."

Eizen's stomach turned. "That's terrible," he said. "I…I'm so sorry, Symonne."

"Save your sympathy," Symonne told him. "There is nothing you can do about it…nothing anyone can do. And I am not sorry to now serve someone who doesn't ask me to do anything besides stay far away from the rest of the world. I have my illusions, and I have my peace, so long as I lend guidance to the occasional Shepherd. It is not a bad life, to live up here."

"Illusions," Eizen repeated, and he glanced at Zaveid. "Is this seraph-?"

"Yep, she's the one who gave me the idea for my oath," Zaveid confirmed, nodding.

"And you've used it remarkably well," Symonne told him. "It is only right that you should be Prime Lord, Lord Hyanoa and I both agree on this." She shook her head. "Enough about me. You have passed the trials, Shepherd; I grant you the spiritual power of wind, on behalf of Lord Hyanoa."

Mana swept through the already-breezy air, swirling around Eizen and filling the space where Zaveid always stayed in his chest, a rush of raw power.

"Now," Symonne said, and she waved a hand, conjuring an illusion of the hellion they had just defeated, "armatize with your wind seraph and perform a Mystic Arte, and the pact will be complete."

Still reeling from everything that had just happened, Eizen nodded and raised his left hand. _Focus now, think later._ "Fylk Zahdeya!"

His uncle's being merged with his flesh, but this time there was something more in the bond - it felt as though it ran deeper, some primal force binding them together even more perfectly than they had ever been before. United, they ran at the illusion, hit it a few times, and then summoned the inner, potential power of battle.

"Lord of Wind!"

A domain froze time, and they rose up high on a swell of energy.

"Come, divine wings! Swarm the sky!"

Blades like those that spread behind their back when armatized filled the air around them and rained down on the false hellion - dozens of them, maybe even hundreds of them, all striking the conjured beast and the ground around it with piercing wind mana. But they weren't through; the mana of each blade waited until the rain was done.

"_Sylphystia_!"

All at once, the blades exploded in one final burst of energy, obliterating their target.

The arte ended, and Eizen and Zaveid touched down gently on the ground before de-armatizing, leaving Eizen breathless.

"Such power…" he gasped, a hand over his uncle's place in his chest.

"Well done," Symonne stated. "Now go. Leave me." She turned her back.

"Lady Symonne?"

Sadie's voice drew the dark seraph's attention. "Yes?"

"May I…" Sadie seemed to curl in on herself, biting her lip. "May I ask you about…about nephilim?"

Symonne gave her a cold, cruel smile. "There is no such thing," she said flatly.

Sadie gasped and recoiled.

"Seraphim are seraphim," Symonne told her; "the word 'nephilim' comes from ancient legends told by humans over three thousand years ago, before even the Era of Darkness…legends only the Great Lords remember now. But legends are all they were."

Sadie didn't respond.

"But you already knew that, didn't you?" Symonne smirked. "You passed the trial, after all. Or did you want to hope that you were wrong?"

Sadie turned away, but Eizen didn't miss the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Whatever had passed between Sadie and the illusion of the little girl Dahlia, it had cut Sadie deeply, and Eizen desperately wanted to ask.

But he didn't. Instead, as he straightened up, something else occurred to him.

"Hey, Symonne?"

"What now?" the seraph girl asked impatiently.

"There's something you should know," Eizen told her: "a long time ago, my parents discovered that a seraph can break their own blessing - or curse - by eating the heart of a white-horned dragon. And, well…the current Lord of Calamity rides a white-horned dragon."

Briefly, Symonne gasped, her eyes misting over for just a moment, and Eizen knew he'd read the girl correctly: her callousness was something she'd developed to cope with her horrible fate. A split second later, though, her face hardened again. "So what?" she asked coldly. "It's not as if I can go with you - you already have a wind seraph on your side, so I can't be your Sub Lord."

"We still have to kill a white-horned dragon, though," Eizen pointed out. "Maybe, after we do that, we'll take her heart and bring it to you."

"Hate to be the one to shoot you down," Zaveid spoke up, "but dragons' hearts don't keep. When a dragon dies, its body dissolves - with the occasional exception of its bones, but that's it. Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"He's right," Symonne confirmed. "I appreciate the sentiment, young Shepherd, but you cannot help me. And as I said, I am content to live up here, alone."

"But…" An odd sensation churned in Eizen's stomach, a sort of visceral protest against the idea that someone was doomed to suffer and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Begone," Symonne told him. "You have much left to do if you are to save this world from the Lord of Calamity."

"She's right," Edna pointed out.

"I…" Eizen shook his head, then bowed. "I'm sorry you have to live like this, Symonne," he said. "Thank you for helping us, you did your duty well."

"I always perform my duty well, so long as it is given to me by another," Symonne said tonelessly.

"Well, thank you all the same," Eizen insisted. "Seriously, I…thank you."

She didn't respond. He turned to walk for the stairs, and suddenly a vicious blast of wind knocked him back.

"There's a faster way down, you know," Symonne told him.

"Huh?" He turned to her, only to see a faint, mean smile playing about her pale lips.

"Jump down," she said. "Your wind seraph can catch you, ensuring you come to no harm."

"Uh…no thanks," Eizen said nervously. "I'd rather take the stairs."

"It was not a suggestion," Symonne stated. "Consider it the spirit trial we were unable to give you on account of you needing to be up here when you passed it. Jump, and trust your wind seraph to catch you."

"Um…" Eizen looked between his seraphim and Sadie, baffled.

"Are you afraid of heights, Shepherd?" Symonne taunted. "You will have to face things that scare you far more than this during your journey, if you are to succeed. We cannot have a Shepherd who would back down at a crucial moment. Either jump, or Lord Hyanoa will take back his blessing."

"Can that happen?!" Zaveid exclaimed.

Symonne smirked. "Are you willing to find out, Prime Lord?" she asked in reply.

"I guess you haven't changed after all," Edna muttered.

"Look, she's not wrong," Zaveid shrugged, and he turned for the ledge Sadie had prevented the illusion of Dahlia from jumping off of. "I'll meet you guys down there and catch you when you fall, okay?"

"Uncle," Eizen began, but Zaveid was already running for the edge. Alarmed, Eizen ran after him as he dove off the building, skidding to a stop just shy of the ledge and peering over to see Zaveid twirl in the air a few times before he planted his feet on the side of the tower and dashed the rest of the way to the ground. A loud whooping from below told him his uncle was entirely unharmed, and had probably even had fun.

"Come on down!" came the distant voice of the wind seraph. "I'll catch you!"

Edna and Sadie approached to stand beside Eizen and look down. Eizen glanced at his big sis.

"I'm not jumping," she told him before he could utter a sound. "You do it." And she vanished to rest within his chest.

Nervously, Eizen looked down again, at the tiny, distant speck that was his only chance of surviving the fall. Not that Zaveid wasn't powerful, but…

"Go on, Shepherd," Symonne spoke up from behind them. "Take the plunge. If you cannot do this, you will have no chance against your sister."

He flinched, but of course she would know if she served Lord Hyanoa. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to keep his eyes open as he stepped forward and allowed himself to fall.

"Well done…"

The distant voice was almost drowned out by the wind that began howling in his ears as he plummeted to the ground. Spurred on by some instinct, he spread his arms and legs, falling front-first, as though hoping to float like a feather. Then, a gale of green wind erupted beneath him, pushing him back up.

He closed his eyes. The wind felt like home, like family, like a much simpler life that was long gone. _Uncle Zaveid used to buoy me up in the air all the time when I was a kid,_ he remembered suddenly. _How could I have forgotten?_

His fall slowed, and he opened his eyes just in time to alter his position and touch down on the ground lightly. He was breathing hard, but he couldn't help smiling a little, and Edna emerged to stand beside him.

"Nothing adds spice to life like a little danger, huh kiddo?" Zaveid grinned at him.

"You're both insane," Edna stated.

"Hey, I had no choice," Eizen pointed out. "And besides…yeah, that was actually kinda fun."

Zaveid laughed, only to be cut off by a scream from high up.

Turning his face towards the top of the tower, Eizen caught side of Sadie, tumbling through the air, her cry of terror growing louder by the second.

"Back up!" Zaveid shouted, and he lunged forward and raised his arms, summoning another whirlwind just in time to slow Sadie's descent.

Eizen got out of the way as the arte spread, blasting against the human girl who had gone silent; Eizen wondered if she'd passed out. Maybe the same thought had crossed Zaveid's mind, because instead of lowering her to the ground, he took another step forward and gently caught her in his arms as his burst of power faded.

"You alright there, darling?" he asked Sadie.

Sadie was panting, obviously breathless with adrenaline and fear. "L-Lord Zaveid," she gasped. "You…You saved me."

"Don't mention it," Zaveid smirked, and it hadn't escaped Eizen's notice that he was still holding her. "That's my job."

Edna jabbed Zaveid. "You can put her down," she told him.

"Can you stand, sweetie?" Zaveid asked Sadie.

"Y-Yes," Sadie stammered, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "I…Yes, I'm fine."

Almost reluctantly, Eizen's uncle set Eizen's childhood crush on her feet and stepped back. "Well," he sighed, "that's our work here done. Nice going, your Shepherdness…and Squireness," he added to Sadie with another smirk.

"It'll be dark soon," Edna remarked, glancing at the sky that was indeed darkening. "We probably shouldn't try to make our way through Westronbolt Gorge after sunset…but I also would rather not camp out under Misty's eyes. Even if she serves Lord Hyanoa now, that girl gives me the creeps."

"Misty?" Eizen asked.

"Symonne," Edna explained.

"Let's camp on the edge of the gorge," Zaveid suggested. "I'd rather not sleep somewhere she can see me, either."

"We can make another shelter with your power, Edna," Eizen said with a nod, "and this time we have sleeping bags, so the fact that it's so rocky around here won't be so bad."

"Have you ever slept in a sleeping bag, Eizen?"

Surprisingly, the question came from Sadie. It was the first time she'd ever voluntarily called Eizen by his name.

"Well…no," he answered. "But at least we don't have to sleep on just rocks, right?"

"True." The Squire folded her arms and looked away. Something in her brown eyes seemed haunted, as though she was still recovering from seeing a ghost.

"Hey…are you okay?" Eizen asked her.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just…tired. Let's set up camp and get some sleep."

_Something else I don't understand,_ Eizen thought, but he gave her a nod and turned his back on the Guinevere Shrine. "Let's go," he said. "We did what we came here to do."

As they walked away, Eizen felt exhausted but incredibly proud. _One trial down._

* * *

**A/N 1: ****For more information on my headcanon regarding Zaveid's relationship with Dezel, please check out my Zestiria-only M-rated oneshot, "Wingman". There's a little foreshadowing in there for reveals I have planned for towards the end of this story, too…**

**A/N 2: Credit goes to penname "alphawolf2196" for all names (but not characters) associated with Symonne's illusions in this chapter. Look forward to his Dahlia and Rook someday, as he writes his own answer to this world that was left unfinished! :)**

**A/N 3: ****No, Symonne is not wearing that skimpy little vest thing that passed for her top in Zestiria. She serves a Great Lord now, she has to wear something a bit more decent. Just to be clear.**

**POST-REWRITE A/N: If this was a game, there would be several sidequests in the future involving Aline, especially after Sahra joins the team, for reasons that will become apparent when you read the new OC version of Sahra. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to work them smoothly into this written version of the tale, the fic's already plenty long and I'd have to break up the flow of the story to do more with her. So, I'm sorry to say it, but this is the only time Aline is going to appear in this fic. I just had to do SOMETHING with Rose, even despite making the team's fire seraph an OC, so this is my nod to her.**


	12. We're Still Fighting

Resting within Eizen wasn't easy for Edna when her vessel was having a hard time resting himself. Even with a sleeping bag, the ground underneath them was rocky and uneven, and that little bit of padding did a lot less than either of them expected. After maybe an hour of his tossing and turning, Edna gave up, emerging to fully manifest in the little stone hut she'd made for the two humans. Moments later, Zaveid followed suit. Catching her eye in the faint moonlight, he winked at her and gestured to the small opening in the wall with his head.

Edna glared at him.

In response, he lifted his hands, palms out, and took a small step back before gesturing again, a little more insistently. As much as she hated herself for it, she understood exactly what he was saying without words: _No funny business, I promise. Please come outside._

Rolling her eyes, Edna gave him a slight nod, and they exited the shelter as quietly as they could. The moment they were far enough away that they could talk without bothering Eizen and Sadie, she stopped in her tracks.

"What do you want?" she asked Zaveid coldly.

He turned to her and smirked. "Maybe I just want to be alone with you," he teased.

She growled and turned to go back.

"Hey, wait," he said quickly, the flirting tone gone. Glowering, she turned around, only to see that his expression had lost all its humor. "I just want to talk," he said softly. "Please."

"…Fine." She turned to face him and planted her umbrella on the ground, resting her hands. "Talk."

Zaveid sighed. "Listen, I…I wanted to clear the air," he began. "I know you've been mad at me for days now, but your crack about Dezel and Lafarga today was downright cruel."

"Crack?" she repeated. "I was only stating a fact."

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to," he retorted, "and I can't help but wonder if you would have if you weren't still pissed about our conversation in Lastonbell."

"I probably would have," she shrugged. "It's true, after all. Not that you care."

"I-!" he began, then seemed to change his mind about shouting loud enough for their human companions to hear him, and he took a deep breath. Reaching up, he removed his hat, the hat he'd taken for himself after Dezel's death, and started twirling it in his hands, staring at it as though it was somehow soothing for him. "Look," he finally sighed, "I downplayed it a little, alright? The truth is, Dezel was like a son to me. I know I wasn't the best father figure he could've had, but I did my best, I really did. When he and Lafarga met, they bonded immediately, a lot more than he and I ever had; he was old enough to not need me anymore by then, so I made sure when I left that he wouldn't go with me."

"Yeah?" Edna asked bitingly. "And how'd you manage that?"

Zaveid gave a heavy sigh that was laden with pain, still twirling Dezel's hat. "I…told him what a wingman was," he answered.

"_Huh_?"

"That was my nickname for him while he was growing up," Zaveid explained: "'my little wingman'. It was a joke at first - he was the little man I took under my wing, that was all. But the name turned out to be a lot more appropriate than I'd thought-"

"Okay wait, first of all, what's a wingman?" Edna interrupted.

He smirked at her wickedly, and she only just barely managed not to stab him. "A wingman is a friend who's there to help a guy score chicks," he replied, causing Edna's stomach to turn. "And it's like I told ya today, the fact that I was taking care of a kid made me _very_ appealing to the ladies, but he wasn't so good at being a wingman once he grew up…so…" The smirk faded. "…after he met Lafarga, I told him what a wingman was and that he needed to up his game if he wanted to be of any use to me."

"You told him that was all he was to you?!" she exclaimed. "After you _raised_ him?! No wonder he always got so mad whenever we ran into you or talked about you!"

"Yeah, his memory might have been gone, but the resentment lingered…and it _was_ cruel of me, I know," Zaveid admitted. "For the record, it was pretty far removed from the truth. But I knew that, if he thought that was all he was to me, he'd stop following me and stick with Lafarga instead, and I thought he'd be better off without me. I thought he'd be…safer." Another sigh. "I was wrong. So wrong. His death still haunts me, you know - I keep thinking, if I'd've just been there, instead of handing over Siegfried and letting y'all walk away, maybe…" He shook his head. "And now you're saying Lafarga's death was my fault, too. It hurts, okay? It hurts, and not least because you're right. Both of them are my fault."

Edna eyed the wind seraph warily. On the one hand, he'd been horrible to Dezel, but on the other hand, he'd clearly _cared_ about Dezel. On top of that, it wasn't like him to be so open about his past like this; whatever was going on, he really was upset. But why?

Dezel's hat stilled in Zaveid's hands. "You must know," he went on. "What you said, you said to hurt me, on purpose. It's been a long time since you've jabbed at me like that, and I can't help but think you hate me now, have since Lastonbell."

"I don't hear you apologizing," Edna said pointedly.

"I won't apologize for what I did at Cellie's party," he said, "because I'm not sorry. Not unless it really did make Niko turn, and the more I think about that possibility, the less it makes sense. But is it really worth holding this much of a grudge over?"

Ignoring the fact that he apparently had been thinking about it, Edna scowled. "You're not even a little sorry?" she demanded. "You know what you did to Dezel was wrong, but you don't think there's anything wrong with what you did at Cellie's party, at all? Nothing even a little bit wrong?"

Zaveid took a long, deep breath, exhaling heavily. "No," he replied, "but not for the reasons you think. If someone else had done that at Cellie's party, I'd be pissed. If, say, it had been our baby boy here…" He waved a hand in the direction of the stone shelter where Eizen was trying and probably still failing to sleep. "…I'd kick his ass. But it's different with me."

"Why?" she asked furiously, barely managing to keep her voice down. "What makes you so damn special that it's okay for you to act like that?"

Orange eyes met hers in the moonlight, radiating with pain. "Because it doesn't make any difference," he replied. "I reserved my spot in hell a long time ago, and there's no cancelling that reservation now, I'm damned no matter what I do. I might as well enjoy myself before I burn."

Edna blinked. "I thought you wanted to die," she said.

"I do," he answered, "but I have no illusions about what's waiting for me on the other side. At least I won't have to live in this cruel, miserable world anymore - and hey, I deserve what's coming to me. But so long as I'm here, I might as well have a little fun. A few more petty dalliances are nothing for a soul as burdened with countless sins as mine."

"Burdened with countless sins…" Edna repeated softly, glancing up at the tower not far from where they stood. "Funny, Misty said the same thing about her own soul, once; she said she and Dezel had that in common. Why are all you wind seraphim such horrible people?"

He chuckled. "Hell if I know," he shrugged. "It must be just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"You're getting really fond of saying that," Edna remarked.

"Yeah, well…" He put his hat back on. "I've always known it. Just never really found the words for it until recently, y'know?"

"_You_ couldn't find the words for something?" she taunted.

Another chuckle. "Shocking, I know."

And that was all. Silence stretched between them for a long minute. Above, the stars twinkled without making a sound, forever silent witnesses to the troubles of all mortals. Edna was glad for it; she needed to process what Zaveid was trying to say. It wasn't quite the disgusting, shameless attitude she'd assumed of him, and yet… "This big, terrible sin you committed," she finally prompted. "The reason you're damned now. Was it what you did to Dezel?"

Zaveid gave a completely mirthless laugh. "Nah," he replied, "I was damned before I even met him. I'll admit leaving him like that's pretty high up there on the list of rotten things I've done, but no; my greatest sin is much worse."

"Then what did you do?" Edna asked. "What could you have done that was worse than that?"

"I can't tell you," Zaveid sighed.

"_Zaveid_."

"Don't take it personally," he told her; "I've never told anyone, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Hell, I never even told your older brother, not even when he was my only friend in the whole world, and it was his fault."

Edna gasped and stumbled back a step, pain and shock lancing through her heart. "My brother's fault?" she asked. "But…"

Zaveid sighed heavily, then shook his head. "No," he mumbled, "that's not fair of me. It was my choice…a choice I might never have had to face if not for him, sure, but in the end, it was my decision, and mine alone. But look, that ain't the point; the point is, I never even told him. He probably knew, but…I never told him, or anyone, and I'm not gonna tell you. Just the fact that the Earthen Historia knows is bad enough."

"How bad can it possibly be?!" Edna exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed, and she winced. After they held still and silent for a moment and there was no sign their companions had heard her, he met her eyes again. "Bad," he answered frankly. "Bad enough that I can never redeem myself. Bad enough that being Prime Lord causes me pain." One hand went to his bare chest. "The flames of purification burn me from the inside, every moment, because I'm not worthy of their power - a constant, faint ache reminding me what a worthless sinner I am."

It clicked. "Is that why you've been so open since you became Prime Lord?" Edna asked. "I've noticed, even as far back as before we left Ladylake, you've been different."

"Yeah," Zaveid sighed. "I don't mind a little pain - and it _is_ only a little, mind you - but it gets exhausting after a while. Makes it harder to just shrug everything off. And that's kinda the point - to be Prime Lord, a seraph has to sacrifice a piece of themselves to make room for the flames, even if they aren't damned. I am, so it's worse for me."

_But Maotelus said you were receptive!_ Edna thought again, still wondering how that could make any sense. Was it really just something any seraph could do if they were willing? Of course, Zaveid couldn't respond to that question. "You're damned just because of this one thing you did?" she pointedly asked instead. "You don't think it has anything to do with anything you've done since then?"

"It wouldn't be any different if I'd acted any differently since," Zaveid stated firmly. "My greatest sin damns me to hell no matter what. But look, that's not what's important here, I'm not asking for forgiveness for that - or for what I did to Dezel, or even for what I did at Cellie's party. I'm asking…for you to forgive me for driving this wedge between us. I'm not sorry for having fun at Cellie's party, Edna, but…well, we're family, have been for years now, and that means a lot to me, so I am sorry that I've done something to ruin that. There's your apology, the only one I can give: I'm sorry for making you so mad at me."

It was something, at least. More than that, it was a reminder that he was a lot more complicated than she'd assumed of him in the centuries before the night they'd agreed to Velvet's proposal. That, she realized, was what had upset her so much - the idea that he really was just a dirtbag, and she'd given him too much credit in recent years. But maybe…maybe one night of gross behavior didn't actually undo all that they'd shared. Even if he was a lot more than the jerk he acted like, could she really have expected anything else of him? Besides, it was clear that he really did care about her - and not just about her, but about a lot more than she'd thought…

"…Okay," she relented at last. "I forgive you. Sort of."

"Family?" he asked, holding out a hand to her.

She eyed his hand for a moment…then took it. "Family," she agreed.

He let out a tremendous breath, as though he'd been relieved of some huge burden. She looked up at him, and he gave her a lopsided grin. "And hey, if you ever want to make it a little more than family-" he began.

Edna jerked her hand free of his and jabbed him in the gut with her umbrella. "Quit it," she told him as he doubled over, though the smile didn't leave his face. "I have a boyfriend."

"You said it yourself, he ain't your boyfriend yet," he teased. "It's not too late to change your mind."

"Ugh," Edna groaned, rolling her eyes. "I really hope this is going to be the last of our late-night conversations."

"You wanna do something else instead?" Zaveid smirked.

Another jab with her umbrella was Edna's only response.

"Ow," he grunted, still smiling at her. "C'mon, babe, don't tell me you don't enjoy these little heart-to-hearts of ours just a little." He straightened back up. "I know I do."

"Do you?" she asked pointedly.

Still grinning, he spread his arms. "I get to have the attention of a pretty girl like you all to myself," he said; "what's not to enjoy?"

"_Ugh_," she repeated. But though she rolled her eyes again, Edna couldn't help but smile a little herself. It was nice, for things between them to be peaceful again, to bicker with him like they used to.

"We should probably cut this one short, though," Zaveid went on at last. "You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow's your big day, after all!"

"How am I supposed to sleep?" she asked flatly. "You and I don't get sleeping bags, and Eizen's too uncomfortable to get much rest on all these rocks."

Giving her an odd look, he pointed out, "You could always use your earth powers to turn all these rocks into sand, couldn't you?"

Heat crept into Edna's cheeks, and she blinked, speechless.

"Wait, you didn't think of that?" he laughed. "Seriously? You're strong enough to save the holy tree in Marlind, and you didn't think of making the ground softer?!"

"I…" Edna reached to her umbrella and throttled the little plushie dangling from it, her face aflame with embarrassment. Unwilling to admit her lapse in judgment, she gave up trying to speak and turned her back, heading to the shelter without a word.

Zaveid followed, not entirely managing to hide his chuckle - though, to his credit, it sounded like he was trying.

"Wake up," she grunted as she ducked back inside.

"Edna?" Eizen asked, sitting up.

"Just hold still for a minute, both of you," Edna stated, planting her umbrella in the ground. "I don't want to accidentally cripple you."

Without waiting for questions, she reached into the land underfoot - solid, ancient rocks that knew only the whipping of the wind. _Come apart,_ she told the stones. _Relax…just crumble…you won't get blown away, you're safe now, you can come apart…_

Slowly, the earth listened, and a patch of sand grew under her feet, then spread to cover the floor of the entire shelter. She was careful to break up every single rock into a fine powder, until both humans were essentially lying on top of a mound of dust. Satisfied, she opened her eyes. "Better?" she asked them.

"Wow, yeah," Eizen said, shifting his weight within his sleeping bag. "Thanks, big sis."

"Thank you, Lady Edna," Sadie concurred.

"Don't thank me," she told them; "it was Zaveid's idea." Glancing back, she met his eyes, and nodded in response to his shocked expression: a peace offering.

He nodded back.

"I thank _both_ of you, Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna," Sadie declared.

"Yeah, me too," Eizen agreed.

"Whatever. Good night." Edna yawned, then curled up right there on the ground. If she was going to sleep, she was going to get some _real_ sleep.

~o~

In the morning, Edna made sure to bind all the sand back into the rocks and stone it had been before taking down the walls of the earthen tent - the winds of Westronbolt Gorge would have blown it all away anyway, and there was no need to leave behind a crater like that. Then, at last, they started making their way back towards Pendrago. There were hellions, of course, but the four adventurers managed not to fall off any cliffs. Fighting alongside Zaveid was easier now, the understanding and trust between the two of them renewed and allowing them to coordinate in battle as well as ever; it really was nice, Edna thought, to not be mad at her Prime Lord anymore, even if he was still disgusting.

At last, they were back at Pearloats Pasture, and Edna started pointing her Shepherd in the direction of Aifread's Hunting Ground. They traversed the land, quelling hellions all the way, heading south towards the shore just before they got as far east as the capital. It was noon by the time they finally reached the rich, lush land named after the ancient pirate king.

"So that's the sea," Eizen said as they neared the cliffs overlooking the vast stretches of water. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he smiled. "I've read about how pleasant a sea breeze is, but I never knew it was so refreshing."

_We're not here to sightsee,_ Edna reminded him.

"Yeah, I know, but-"

A loud roar cut off Eizen's words, and he turned around, just in time to see two massive beasts pierce through the sky, headed straight for him and his Squire. Edna barely had time to brace herself before Niko's domain slammed into her, jarring her in her spot in Eizen's chest, rendering her mute and helpless to stop whatever was about to come next. Niko's deranged, unhinged laughter soured the ocean breeze Eizen had just been enjoying, and Edna cringed. _If I ever hear that sound again,_ she thought grumpily, focusing on her irritation to avoid how terrified she was.

_Take it easy, babe,_ Zaveid told her. _Maybe she'll just toy with us and fly away again._

_She'd better,_ Edna remarked; _we can't face her yet._

_I know,_ he said somberly. _But no sense panicking. Let's just wait and see how this goes down._

_Not like we have a choice…_

Eizen could barely move as Niko's dragons began circling overhead, threatening to cut off both humans if they tried to run in any direction. "There you are, brother of mine," Niko sneered. "I've been looking for you."

"Niko!" Eizen called, and Edna was proud of him for being able to sound so bold despite the terror pounding through his veins. "What do you want?"

"I want to congratulate you, Eizen," came the response, and the dragons stopped circling to hover in midair as Niko slid down the side of the dragon that had been Lailah and spread her wings, gliding to stand in front of the Shepherd. "You defeated my general in Lastonbell," she said with a wicked grin. "Very impressive. Tell me…do you still feel his blood on your hands?" Emphasizing her point, she spread her own crimson claws wide. Edna had forgotten just how massive those talons were, each of them the length of the girl's arm; it seemed impossible that Niko could lift her hands at all.

"I had no choice!" Eizen snapped, gripping the hilt of his katana. "I didn't want to kill him, Niko, and he wouldn't have had to die if not for you!"

"You make it sound like I forced him to do anything," Niko chuckled. "All I did was make a proposition to the people of Lastonbell; he chose to come forward and accept my offer. His decisions in life are hardly my fault."

"Don't twist what happened!" Eizen shouted. "Everything would have been fine if you hadn't started trying to get everyone else to share in your sick obsession!"

"Is mine the sick obsession?" Niko asked lightly. "Or is yours?"

"Shut up!"

The Lord of Calamity threw her head back and laughed again, that same, hellish laugh. "How very eloquent of you," she snickered.

"Lord of Calamity!"

Sadie's shout drew both Eizen and Niko's attention; the Squire stood with her battleax drawn, a look of pure hatred in her brown eyes.

"Oh? Hello…" Niko said slowly, a wicked smile splitting her face.

"Niko Rangetsu-Crowe, Lord of Calamity," Sadie growled, "in the name of the Five Great Lords, I command you to lay down your life!"

"Command me?!" Niko laughed. "How very amusing." Her black, scaly lips twisted into a broad smirk, displaying rows of razor-sharp fangs. "I know who you are," she said. "Sadie Halloway, right? The girl my dear brother has been so desperately in love with since before I was born?"

"_Niko_!" Eizen exclaimed, and Edna could feel the blood that rushed to his cheeks despite the situation.

"I thought you hated our family," Niko went on, ignoring Eizen and taking a step towards the golden-haired human. "What are you doing traveling with Eizen?"

"I am a Squire under Lord Zaveid, that I may stop you and all those like you," Sadie declared. "My life's mandate is to carry out the will of the seraphim."

"_Under_ my sweet uncle, eh?" Niko smirked. "Should I take that to mean you've carried out _his_ will already?"

Sadie turned bright red, and Edna felt a wave of indignation coming off of Zaveid. _What kind of man do you think I am?!_ Zaveid shouted. _You think I'd take advantage of some girl's messed-up upbringing? I would never!_

_She can't hear you,_ Edna reminded him; _none of them can._

"Zaveid hasn't touched her," Eizen snapped at Niko, deaf to the conversation between his seraphim.

_Well, he's _touched_ her, technically,_ Edna remarked.

_He can't hear you,_ Zaveid growled at her.

"Oh, no?" Niko laughed again. "Well, I suppose it's only a matter of time."

"How dare you?!" Sadie roared, and she lunged forward, pushing through Niko's domain to swing her ax at Niko's neck.

Without even flinching, Niko raised one clawed hand and caught the weapon between her gigantic crimson talons effortlessly. Sadie barely had a moment to blink in shock before Niko ignited a black flame in her other palm and thrust it at the Squire. Screaming, Sadie was thrown black, malevolent flames engulfing her being as she tumbled to the ground, where she lay twitching and writhing, much as the hellions in Lastonbell had after being defeated before Donovan's death.

"Now then," Niko said calmly, turning back to Eizen, "you have ended a man's life for your silly goals, and yet you haven't learned your lesson?"

"I'm not going to stop, Niko," Eizen told her, and Edna could feel how much effort it took for him to put on a bold face when Sadie was still crying in pain. "I won't give in to your games. I won't kill anyone I can avoid killing, but if you leave me no choice, I will do what must be done. That is my duty."

"You've always been so painfully serious," Niko teased. "Really now, why are you still fighting? Surely you know it's hopeless. My power goes beyond anything you could ever hope to achieve…even if you do finish the trials of the elements. That's why you're here, right? To take the trial of Lord Eumacia at the Morgause Shrine?"

_She knows!_ Edna gasped, horrified.

_Oh, that ain't good,_ Zaveid remarked, and his calm tone didn't hide his alarm from his Sub Lord.

"So what if I am?" Eizen snarled. "Are you going to stop me?"

Pensively, Niko tilted her head at him. Had she been fully manifested, Edna would have held her breath.

"…No," the Lord of Calamity replied at last, "not this time. You carry on your way, dear brother; eventually, you will learn."

"I won't stop unless you kill me!" Eizen spat.

"I do so hope that isn't true," Niko said, her tone pitying. "I don't want to kill you, Eizen. You are my brother, after all." With one last shrug, she reached up with her enormous claws and caught the paw of the white-horned dragon, vaulting her way back atop the beast.

"Hey, Eizen!" came a demented voice.

Eizen turned his attention to where his father sat on Mikleo's back. Rokurou grinned at him wickedly.

"Next time we meet, you'll be facing me," he declared. "It's long since time you face the trials of our ancestors, son."

"Trials of our ancestors?" Eizen repeated. "Father…what do you mean?"

"Don't worry about that for now," Niko said before Rokurou could answer. "Carry on your way, as we shall ours. After all, now that Lastonbell has fallen, we have to find a new base of operations here on Glenwood to spread our mission from."

So there weren't any other places that had fallen like Lastonbell had. That, Edna supposed, was something to be grateful for, and she could sense that Eizen felt the same. His mind raced, and as Niko leaned forward on her white-horned mount, he took a step closer.

"Niko, there's something you should know," he said quickly: "Cellie's been cured."

Niko froze, her grin dropping.

"After you turned, our mother had a breakdown," Eizen told her, "and Maotelus himself cried for her. I was there to catch his tears, and after I purified Cellie, I used the five ingredients for the Omega Elixir on her. They worked. Celica's going to live, Niko, she's going to grow up and train in the Rangetsu style like she's always wanted. You don't have to fight anymore."

"You're lying!" Niko shouted.

"I'm not lying," Eizen said firmly. "If Zaveid and Edna could manifest right now, they'd back me up. You don't have to do this anymore, Cellie's going to be okay."

"No!" Niko shrieked. "No, I don't believe you!"

"Do you want to believe me?" Eizen asked her softly. "Or do you want to believe our sister is sick and weak?"

Silence stretched between the two siblings for a long minute, save for the beating of the dragons' wings. For a moment, Edna dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, things would end here and now. But then Niko laughed, that maniacal laughter that her whole family already despised with all their beings.

"Even if what you say is true," she sneered, "Celica will die eventually, without malevolence to preserve her - as will you, and everyone else who tries to cling to the light. Sooner or later, death comes for everyone who refuses to embrace the darkness. That is what I aim to end, dear brother, and you will not stop me!"

"I will!" Eizen shouted. "I will stop you, no matter what it takes!"

Another deranged laugh. "Keep telling yourself that!" Niko jeered. "Until next time!"

And with that, her dragons swooped down to gain momentum before swinging back upwards and flying away.

As the domain eased, Eizen stared after his sister. Once she was gone, Edna started trying to get his attention.

_Eizen? Can you hear me? Eizen!_

"Edna!" he gasped suddenly, blinking out of his trance. "I hear you, big sis!"

_Finally._ Edna emerged, as did Zaveid.

"That was too close," the wind seraph noted. "We got lucky. You alright there, Sadie?"

No response.

"Sadie?"

All of them turned to where Sadie had fallen, only to see her still lying there, twitching, black fire eating away at her. She'd stopped crying out, and Edna wondered if she was still alive.

"Sadie!" Eizen exclaimed, running over to her.

As Edna and Zaveid approached, he reached out to shake her, only to recoil as his hand met the malevolent flames dancing along her body.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Ngh, that stings!" He looked up at Zaveid. "Zaveid, can you help her?"

"I can try," Zaveid replied, kneeling down beside the Shepherd, though he didn't sound too confident. Holding his hands out over her, he summoned the white fire of purification and unleashed it on the crippled human girl. Almost immediately, he grunted with what sounded like pain. "So strong," he growled. "The hell? It wasn't like this outside Ladylake…"

Edna certainly couldn't help, being only a Sub Lord. When a naga hellion got close enough to notice them and tried to interrupt, Edna turned and fought it, Eizen joining her moments later. Suddenly, there was a whole cluster of hellions attacking them, with only half the team able to fight; Eizen and Edna armatized, and managed to fend off the assault. After everything was quelled, they turned back to see that Zaveid was still burning the darkness off of Sadie, though it looked like he was almost done.

De-armatizing with Edna, Eizen ran back over to her, and Edna followed him slowly. A moment after Eizen was back on his knees beside his Squire, the last of the black fire dissipated, and Zaveid stopped casting the flames of purification. Sadie still wasn't moving.

"Sadie?" Eizen asked, putting a hand on her.

At his touch, she groaned slightly, though she didn't quite stir. Still, she was clearly alive, and Edna couldn't blame Eizen for letting loose a sigh of relief as he reached into his supplies and took out a life bottle. He propped her up against his knee, then poured the medicine into her mouth; she coughed, sputtered, and swallowed, opening her eyes at last.

"Are you okay?" Eizen asked her.

"Hnng," she managed, her eyes rolling as she tried to move.

_Even a life bottle didn't rouse her enough?_ Edna thought, watching warily. _After all that energy Zaveid poured into her, too…How can Niko be so powerful?_

"Here," Eizen said, pulling out a couple of the peach gels he'd gotten in Pendrago and popping one in Sadie's mouth.

She chewed, swallowed, and finally sat up. Though she aimed a glare at Eizen as she pulled out of his arms, it seemed rather weak for her, and she took the other peach gel he held out to her and ate it.

"What happened?" Edna asked, the question aimed at her Prime Lord. "What did Niko do to her?"

"Beats me," Zaveid frowned. "Some sort of malevolent blast…stronger than anything I've ever seen - like I said, even her Mystic Arte outside Ladylake was nothing like what she did just now. Burning this away wasn't easy."

"Do you think the spiritual powers of the Great Lords will be enough to counter it?" Edna blurted out before clapping a hand over her mouth.

Zaveid's red-brown eyes turned on her, dark and serious. "I can't talk about certain things, babe," he said. "You know I can't." But his expression gave her the answer to her question: he wasn't sure.

"It's not like there's anything else we can do," Eizen pointed out. He stood up, and Sadie crawled over to where her weapon had fallen and picked it up before rising to her feet herself. "We can't fight her like this, and we're lucky she let us go."

"Yeah," Zaveid agreed. "Good thing you're her brother, huh? Sounds like, if it'd been anyone else, she'd've slaughtered you a long time ago."

But this only seemed to make Eizen sad. "She cares about me," he said softly. "Even though I'm the Shepherd, she doesn't want to kill me, just because we're family. Is there…Is there nothing we can do for her?"

"It's her choice, in the end," Edna shrugged; "if she won't let you quell her, you'll have to kill her, for the good of the world. But who knows?" she added. "Maybe it's not as hopeless as you think." As unlikely as this seemed, Niko _had_ let them walk away mostly-unharmed, after all. Maybe Edna's baby brother could still have his happy ending.

"Either way, we should get going," Eizen sighed, turning back towards the shore. "We, uh, just follow the cliff, right?"

"I'll tell you when you need to head inland," Edna replied. "Let's move; if we're lucky, we'll be able to spend the night at the Pendrago inn."

"That'd be nice," Eizen agreed, and he started walking.

Edna and Zaveid stayed manifested as they ventured into the seaside area; Edna was relieved to still be able to feel alive after such a close encounter with the Lord of Calamity, and she had a feeling Zaveid felt the same. After a few steps, though, Eizen stopped, and Edna and Zaveid turned around to notice that the Squire wasn't with them.

"…Sadie?" Eizen asked, turning back to where the golden-haired girl still stood, gazing at the battleax in her one gloved hand. When she didn't respond, he walked over to her. "Are…you okay?" he pressed.

"I couldn't do anything," she said softly as Edna and Zaveid approached the pair. "All my training…all my strength…and she threw me aside like I was nothing."

"She _is_ the Lord of Calamity," Edna pointed out. "Did you really think taking her down would be easy?"

"She's a _child_!" Sadie choked, all but sobbing.

"With malevolence like hers, it doesn't matter how old she is," Zaveid stated. "If anything, the fact that she's so young just makes her more dangerous - less experience means less restraint when using the power you've got. And she has more malevolence than anything I've ever seen, more than even the darkest dragon. Don't feel bad that you couldn't kill her on your own."

"That's why we're taking the trials, after all," Edna added, filling in the part she knew Zaveid couldn't say. "We need more power than what we've got, even when we're working together - you need the help of seraphim to fight a hellion like Niko, and she's too strong for us to manifest unless each of the Five Lords has granted our vessel their spiritual powers."

"We'll stop her as soon as we can, Sadie," Eizen said gently. "Right now, we need to focus on getting stronger so she can't just throw us around like that anymore."

Wordlessly, Sadie nodded, and she holstered her weapon before turning to her comrades. "Let's go, then," she said tonelessly, her face a mask.

Eizen returned her nod and turned back around, and at last, they made their way through the lush cliffside landscape.

Flowers bloomed around shrubs and fallen logs, and the constant breeze coming off the ocean reminded Edna of her Shepherd's namesake, her older brother. Only a few short years ago, she had seen, through Zaveid's conjuration of Velvet and Rokurou's memories, the ship he had sailed on, the crew that had served him, the pirate he'd been; now, with the vast ocean spread out before her, she found herself wondering…what had it been like, for him to feel that salty caress every day? Did he get used to it, or was it always this bracing and refreshing for him? Staring out to sea, she almost imagined she could see the Van Eltia on the horizon, her brother perched atop the masts. Were he and Aifread, this land's namesake, sailing some vast, uncharted stretch of water in heaven together right now…?

_Stop it,_ she told herself when a boar hellion gouged her during one fight. _You're being pathetic._ But the crashing of the waves far below wouldn't let her shake the image from her mind, and it was almost a relief when they had to turn away from the shore and head inland to the Morgause Shrine.

At last, the wilds and the hellions were behind them, a few stone pillars marking the entrance to the home of the Earth Trial as they were given some breathing room. Edna was still trying to dispel thoughts of her brother when Zaveid suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, Edna, my darling!"

"What now?" she asked, turning to him, and all four of them stopped.

In response, the wind seraph grinned and pulled out a flower. "Lookie what I found," he said, holding it out to her.

Edna stared for a long minute at the beautiful cluster of blooms at the end of the single stem, each one a varying shade of brilliant red. "…So you know," she finally said, keeping her voice as empty of emotion as ever.

"Sure do!" Zaveid smirked. "Your brother told me that story all the time."

"What's with the flower, big sis?" Eizen asked.

"This ain't just any flower," Zaveid informed the Shepherd. "This here is a very special variant of orchid called an edna."

"Really?" Eizen asked, surprised.

"Yup!" Zaveid grinned. "Your namesake named our little miss Edna after these, a long, long time ago. Ednae are incredibly rare and very delicate - too much _or_ too little sunlight or water, heat or cold, and they'll wither and die instantly. This is one of the few places they can be found in the wild."

"Indeed," Edna stated, "and you just killed one of them. How very thoughtful of you."

"Wh-?! But-! But I-! That wasn't-!" the wind seraph spluttered, his smile dropping, and Edna withheld a chuckle.

"It's weird that you'd be named after something so delicate, big sis," Eizen mused as Zaveid struggled to regain his composure.

"Is it?" she asked him sharply.

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, ignoring her glare. "I mean, I don't think of something fragile when I think of you - to me, you've always been the pinnacle of strength and resilience."

"Oh." Edna blinked. She'd never thought of herself that way…nor had the brother who'd named and raised her. It was odd, that the human named after him thought of her completely oppositely from how he had.

"Well, you could put it that way," Zaveid said, having apparently gotten over Edna's rebuke, "but here's how I like to think of it: ednae aren't commonplace. It takes a very, very special set of circumstances for such a beautiful flower to bloom. Doesn't that sound like someone we know?"

"You're stretching this way too far," Edna told him, though she took the dead plant he was still proffering to her and gazed at it thoughtfully. Was that maybe what her brother had meant by giving her that name, after all…?

"Um…"

Everyone turned on Sadie, who immediately blushed.

"Pardon me," she said nervously, "but…what is all this about Lady Edna being named by someone else? I thought seraphim were born with their names. You don't breed, after all…do you?"

"No, we don't," Zaveid answered, "but we still come into being knowing almost nothing. For a lot of us, our names are ours to discover, as our way of coming of age. But sometimes we're given our names by someone who knows us better than we do." He glanced at Edna. "Usually those of us lucky enough to have family."

"Or those seraphim who used to be human," Edna added; "they tend to keep their names. They don't always, of course, like Aline…" She shrugged. "Actually, Aline's weird, since she kept her true name but not her common name, but whatever."

"Seraphim who…? So wait…there are others?" Sadie asked. "Other humans who…are reborn, as seraphim? Not just Rose?"

"Like Eizen said, it happens," Edna stated, giving another shrug. "We told you a while ago that Maotelus himself used to be human, even if the human he used to be was never actually born. It's not common, but it happens. In fact…" She glanced at the shrine as something occurred to her. "Let's go in, and I'll introduce you to another such seraph right now, assuming he still runs the Earth Trial."

"But…" Sadie all but ran after Edna as she approached the Morgause Shrine and opened the door; behind them, Eizen and Zaveid followed more slowly.

"Hello?" Edna called as she stepped into the dry stone temple. "Anyone here?"

"Ohh, well hel_lo_ there!" chirped an obnoxious voice.

Turning, Edna saw a seraph in a white robe and a bronze mask trot over to her and Sadie.

"So good of you to come here!" Pawan exclaimed brightly. "You must be the Shepherd, right?" he added to Sadie, getting right in her face. "You're here for the trial, riiiiight?"

"I…" Sadie blinked.

"Everyone, meet Pawan," Edna said as Eizen and Zaveid joined them. "He used to be a Shepherd, before he was reborn as a seraph."

"That's right!" Pawan said. "Now I get to pass on all my knowledge and wisdom to all the Shepherds who come after me, like this _lovely_ young lady here."

"I…I'm not the Shepherd!" Sadie blurted, her face red. "I'm just a Squire!"

"Huh?" Pawan started, then slumped over. "Ohh," he moaned, "when will we ever have a nice young lady Shepherd again? I feel like I've seen nothing but men come through here since I was reborn."

"Ooh, that's rough," Zaveid remarked. "Don't you ever get a break?"

"No," Pawan replied, straightening up. "This trial is my responsibility, you see, and only mine. If only Lord Eumacia would let me out sometimes…" His voice trailed off in a whine.

"I feel for ya," Zaveid said, sounding entirely sincere as he stepped forward. "But hey, even if she's not the Shepherd, our Sadie's still a tasty little piece of eye candy, don't you agree?" He smirked at the masked seraph. "I don't mind sharing if you don't."

Edna groaned loudly. Did perverts feed on each other's perviness?

"Say, speaking of eye candy, where's Lailah?" Pawan asked, looking around. "Ohhh _Lailah_? Where are you _hiding_?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Zaveid's smile faded slightly, and he tipped his hat. "Lailah…ain't here. She was turned into a dragon by the current Lord of Calamity. I'm the Prime Lord now."

"_Whaaaaat_?!" Pawan exclaimed, stumbling back. "But how?!"

"Maotelus asked for a new Prime Lord after Lailah fell," Edna shrugged; "Zaveid was the only one who volunteered. Apparently, the Prime Lord doesn't have to be a fire seraph."

"Ohh," Pawan moaned, slumping over again, "now the Prime Lord is a man, too? What is this world coming to?"

Eizen burst out laughing, Edna chuckled, and even Sadie couldn't entirely withhold a giggle. Zaveid, meanwhile, winced.

"Ouch," the wind seraph remarked. "I'm sorry, man, I didn't think of that. You're right, that is a damn shame."

"I wish I could quit this job," Pawan moped.

"Why don't you?" Zaveid asked encouragingly. "Surely there's some other, more stoic sort of earth seraph who could run things around here?"

"Lord Eumacia chose me," Pawan said, "and so I must remain here, running this trial, until he declares otherwise. I thought it would be fine, if Lailah was going to come through here every couple of centuries, but…"

"Yeah, that's rough," Zaveid commiserated, putting a hand on the earth seraph's shoulder. "Tell ya what. After we're done saving the world and all, I'll come back here and bring you a drink, plus as many chicks as I can win over. We'll have a nice big party, in celebration of another Lord of Calamity down. Whaddaya say?"

"Really?" Pawan squeaked, immediately brightening up again. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course!" Zaveid grinned, spreading his arms. "It's the least I can do, and I mean, I was planning on something similar anyway - human ladies practically trip over themselves for a chance at a seraph, I'm expecting a huge turnout. You have a preference for what I should bring?"

"Oh, well, I haven't tasted wine since I was reborn!" Pawan exclaimed. "I don't suppose you could find a fine, old bottle of red for me?"

"Sure," Zaveid smirked, "but I wasn't asking about the drinks."

"_Enough_!" Edna finally shouted at them. "You're both gross. We have a trial to take and a Lord of Calamity to stop. You two can spend all the time you want perving it up after the world is safe from malevolence, right now we need to get going."

"C'mon, the world's never gonna _really_ be safe from malevolence," Zaveid pointed out. "Why can't we take the time to make some friends along our journey?"

"Because we have better things to do," Edna answered coldly, and she stepped forward to glare up at Pawan. "Same trial as last time?" she asked. "Quell the Minotauros?"

"Oh, uh…yes, that's right," Pawan replied with a nod. "It's around here somewhere. If you can find it and quell it, and then make your way to the altar deep within the shrine, the spiritual power of earth will be yours."

"Good," Edna stated, turning her back on him, her umbrella over her shoulder. "Let's go, everyone."

"Later, Pawan," Zaveid said.

"I'll see you at the altar!" the keeper of the Earth Trial said in a singsong voice, and at last, he was gone.

"Well," Eizen managed, clearly struggling to contain more laughter, "he was…interesting. I didn't know there were others like you, uncle Zaveid."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Zaveid asked indignantly.

"So this just…happens?" Sadie asked, her blush still in the process of fading. "People are just reborn as seraphim, regular people? But how?"

"No one knows for sure," Edna shrugged. "It's said that only those who are entirely pure of heart can be reborn as seraphim, but not all pure-hearted humans are given that honor. Some say it has to do with how a human dies, too, but there's no guaranteed way to make it happen that anyone knows of."

"Pure of heart?" Eizen repeated, raising his eyebrows at Edna. "You mean like Pawan?"

"For all his faults, Shepherd Pawan was a fine Shepherd in his human life, quelling over 10,000 hellions," Edna stated. "Besides, a human needs a certain amount of purity to become a Shepherd in the first place. In the end, what is and isn't pure is as unclear as what decides who does and doesn't get to be reborn as a seraph."

"But…" Sadie's eyes turned to the floor, and she shook her head, but at least she was finally starting to absorb what she'd been told. "But then…I…I don't understand. Humans are the main sources of malevolence in this world, and they can turn into hellions, but…they can also turn into seraphim? But then…what are humans…?"

"Whoa, hey, don't get too deep about this," Zaveid told Sadie. "No point thinking about it so much."

"Lord Zaveid," Sadie said slowly, blinking at him. "Are you…That is, if you don't mind me asking…Were _you_ human, once?"

"I dunno," Zaveid shrugged. "I don't think so. If I was, it would've been well over two thousand years ago, so I probably wouldn't remember anyway, but I'm pretty sure my first moments in this world were as a malak."

"Oh," Sadie sighed, and she returned her gaze to the floor, clearly disappointed at the lack of some excuse for Zaveid's nature.

"We have a trial," Edna reminded everyone again.

"Yeah, you said something about a Minotauros?" Zaveid asked her.

"Yep," Edna nodded, "there's a mega-powerful hellion around here that looks like a bull with an ax. The trial is to quell it."

"Well, that should be simple enough," Eizen remarked, and he looked around. "Getting through here should be a lot easier than getting through the Guinevere Shrine, too. Hey, what's this place called again, Edna?"

"The Morgause Shrine," Edna answered. "Does it matter?"

"Just wondering." Eizen looked back and forth between the split path before them, then turned left. "Well, let's start looking."

"Right." Zaveid and Edna both came to rest within their vessel, and Sadie followed Eizen as he began making his way through the shrine of the Earth Trial.

Hellions abounded here, rock golems and mud slimes and other such earth-based monstrosities; there was hardly any room to breathe as they quelled beast after beast. Edna and Zaveid soon stopped bothering with resting inside their vessel, and they forged their way through the old desert shrine, searching for the subject of the trial.

"There are so many hellions here!" Sadie exclaimed after a few rooms. "I can't believe there would be so many in a shrine dedicated to one of the Five Great Lords!"

"It makes sense when you know what humans have been using this shrine for," Edna shrugged. "Guinevere and Morgause are the worst, since they're out in the open for humans to interpret in their own ways - Lefay and Igraine aren't so bad."

"What's this shrine used for?" The question came, surprisingly, from Zaveid.

"You don't know?" Edna asked. "You travel around the world all the time, and you don't know?"

"Nope," Zaveid answered as they were thrust into battle yet again.

When the fight was over, Eizen was the first to continue the conversation.

"So…Guinevere is where humans go to sacrifice themselves to the seraphim," he said thoughtfully. "But I don't see any convenient place to do that here. What's this shrine used for?"

"You'll find out when we find the Minotauros," Edna replied. She couldn't help glancing uneasily at Zaveid, already anticipating how he would take the revelation. Unfortunately, he didn't miss her look.

"Edna," he said sternly, "what is it humans do here?"

"You'll find out when we find the Minotauros," she repeated emphatically, gripping the plushie dangling from her umbrella and squeezing it a few times in an effort to soothe herself. In truth, she didn't want to be the one to tell him, knowing his history with children, and now his current condition as Prime Lord on top of that; coming here had already somehow stirred up painful old memories for her, and she didn't want to be the reason the same happened to him, even if it was inevitable. His stern gaze didn't waver, though, and finally, she sighed. "Brace yourself, though," she relented. "It's…pretty bad."

"How bad can it be?" he demanded.

She met his eyes. "Bad," she stated frankly.

As she'd hoped, this made him chuckle. "Touché." he responded.

"Huh?" Eizen asked.

"Nothing," Edna said. "Let's keep looking."

They did, searching room after room, but they were only met with grunt hellions.

"Where is this thing?" Eizen asked as dusk began to fall.

"It's not like it's waiting around for us," Edna pointed out; "maybe we keep missing it."

"So should we keep looking, or just wait in one place?" Eizen asked.

"Beats me."

"_Heeeeeeeelp_!"

The sudden, unexpected shout met them as they passed through a doorway into one of the many closed rooms of the shrine.

"That sounded like Pawan!" Eizen gasped, running in the direction of the sound. Sadie and the seraphim followed him, only to be stopped short by a stone blockade.

"Help meeeeee!" cried the distant voice of the shrine's keeper; he sounded genuinely terrified. "Pleeeeeease! _Heeeeeelp_!"

"How do we get through here?" Eizen wondered out loud.

Retreating to rest within him, Edna decided the time for playing fair was over. _There's a room underneath this one,_ she told him; _take the stairs down, then use my power to crush the bottoms of these pillars so they fall and open the way._

"Got it," Eizen said with a terse nod, already turning and running for the small staircase by the wall.

Never had Edna been more grateful to be in a vessel; only Eizen's practiced sure-footedness, courtesy of his father's training, kept him from tripping as he bounded down the shallow steps to the underground chamber and dashed for the weak spots in the pillars against the wall where the doorway was up above. Edna let her power flow into his hands as he thrust his palms forward and shattered the rocks, lowering the pillars, before he turned around and darted back up to the ground floor. With the way open, he ran into the altar room, where Sadie and Zaveid were already knocking a giant hellion away from the cowering Pawan.

"Let's go!" Eizen shouted, drawing his katana, and Edna emerged, trying to ignore the soreness in her limbs from Eizen's recent use of Giant's Strength as she brandished her umbrella and began striking the massive bipedal bull. It was exactly as she remembered it from five hundred years ago, and she knew they would have to face facts eventually; for now, though, its growls and grunts were those of an animal, and she'd already decided she wasn't going to be the one to bring up the truth.

"How the hell did it get in here?" Zaveid called to Pawan.

"I don't know," whimpered the pathetic earth seraph. "But I really hate this job…"

"Roar of the beast!" Sadie shouted.

A domain froze time, and she bashed the monster with her axe.

"Let your blood bleed silver in the moonlight!" she intoned. "_Wolf's Bane_!"

The Mystic Arte's final blow sent the Minotauros tumbling onto its back…and that was when the crying started. A chorus of children's voices, screaming and wailing with pain and fear, radiated from the monster they were fighting, and Edna felt both Eizen and Zaveid hesitate. Sadie didn't, though; as if she couldn't hear the sobbing, she raised a hand.

"Fylk Zahdeya!"

Turning just in time to see Zaveid open his mouth in protest, Edna watched as the wind seraph's power merged with Sadie. The Squire struck the beast a few more times, then shouted,

"Lord of Wind!"

Another Mystic Arte.

"Come, divine wings! Swarm the sky! _Sylphystia_!"

With a final blast of wind mana, the Minotauros was knocked down and did not rise again.

Sadie landed and de-armatized, glaring haughtily at the fallen hellion. Children's cries were still ringing through the room, all coming from the downed beast. Zaveid turned to Edna, his orange eyes wide and haunted.

"Edna," he rasped, "what is it humans do here?"

"I'm sure you've guessed," Edna said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Please tell me I'm wrong."

"No," Edna sighed, wincing as she confirmed, "the Morgause Shrine is where humans abandon children they don't want anymore."

"That's right."

Everyone turned to Pawan, who was still kneeling on the floor.

"It's always been that way," he said, sounding utterly miserable, "and I'm not allowed to prevent it. It was easier when they couldn't see me, but now they can, you know? I tried to tell one of those parents not to abandon their kid here once, and ooh, Lord Eumacia, he got very mad at me. Said humans had to make their own choices, and that the horrible tradition served to create both a strength trial and a spirit trial for new Shepherds, that they might face the worst horrors of their own kind. So I have to just watch…watch the little squirts cry and scream and wither away, until…"

"Until their pain…creates the Minotauros," Zaveid finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Uh-huh." Pawan sighed, and the sound turned into a whimper. "I _really_ hate this job…"

Zaveid fell to his knees; in his eyes, Edna saw the exact things she had been dreading. Clearly, he remembered all too well what the pain of children who lost everything could do. With the nagging pain from the flames of purification weakening his defenses as well, she knew she couldn't imagine his agony now.

"You know what?" Pawan said, getting to his feet, "you've all done enough. On behalf of Lord Eumacia, I grant you the spiritual power of earth."

Mana swept over Edna, passing through her vessel and into her.

"And that is the last thing I'm going to do here!" Pawan declared, turning in the direction of the altar. "Lord Eumacia, I'm not going to serve you anymore! Find someone else to run this damn trial!"

Light gathered around the robed seraph, then shattered, and he stumbled as his bond to the shrine was severed.

"Armatize and cast a Mystic Arte, and complete the pact," Pawan moped, turning for the stairs. "I'm going now. Goodbye."

And he dragged himself away.

No one moved for a long minute, not even the fallen Minotauros. As the only one who had known what was coming, Edna was the first to break the stillness, and she walked over to Eizen and gave him a gentle prod with her umbrella.

"Eizen," she said softly as he turned to meet her eyes, gesturing her head at the Minotauros.

His golden eyes were filled with remorse, but he nodded. "Hephsin Yulind," he declared, his voice subdued.

The armatus formed, and Edna again felt the bond with one who bore the blessing of the Great Lord of Earth, Eumacia. She had forgotten it in the centuries since Rose had died, and it was kind of surprising to realize how much she'd missed it - the sense of complete and absolute power, energy and flesh as one.

Slowly, with reluctant steps, Eizen walked over to the hellion, smacked it a few times, then called upon the inner strength that was now theirs to use.

"Earth Form!"

Power swelled, and they blasted the creature with punches backed by all the strength of Eumacia.

"Strong as the earth! Behold radial ruin!"

They flew up into the air, then came down hard, smashing the beast and the ground beneath it to pieces:

"_Earth Revolution_!"

When the Mystic Arte ended, they de-armatized, and the crying hellion dissolved into orbs of light: all that remained of the children who had been left in this place to die by parents who couldn't be bothered to take care of them. One of the orbs floated past Zaveid, and he lifted a hand as it went, barely grazing it with his fingertips as it moved on.

Then there was nothing but silence. Edna looked over at Zaveid, who still knelt on the floor, his face a mask of raw horror. Cautiously, she approached him.

"Zaveid?" she asked.

"Those kids…" he whispered. "They were just…abandoned? By their own families?"

"Yeah," Edna sighed.

"How could anyone…How could anyone inflict that kind of pain on this world?" he asked softly. "How could someone create new life, and then just…discard it like that?"

"Dunno," Edna replied, forcing a shrug.

"Well, obviously they deserved to be abandoned."

Everyone turned on Sadie in shock as she crossed her arms.

"They turned into a massive, terrible hellion," she stated. "They must have been corrupt."

It was the wrong thing to say. When Zaveid lurched to his feet and swung a pendulum at Sadie, Edna made no move to stop him.

"How dare you?" he growled, advancing on the belligerent Squire, whose one ungloved hand had gone to the spot where he'd smacked her. "How _dare_ you? You know _nothing_ about those kids! You know nothing about _anything_! You have no _idea_ what happens when a child loses their family, their home, everything they love, how much malevolence that creates! And you don't know anything about true goodness, either!"

"But I…" Sadie whimpered as he stopped maybe two inches from her face.

"Maybe you don't know, but I do!" he roared. "Once, only once, I've seen true goodness in this world, Sadie! I've seen a heart so big and beautiful it could have eclipsed the sun! I knew a malak who loved to live, and lived to love, whose only creed in life was to do good in this world, to bring love and beauty to everything she saw, to help those she could lend a hand to! And I saw that malak take in children who had lost everything - good children, innocent children! I saw her give them a new home, a new family, and I saw them love her right back! And you know what she got for her trouble, for helping completely pure children whose only crime was to be orphaned by a tragedy?! Malevolence! Malevolence so strong it poisoned her and twisted her into a monster, a monster who would attack anything that came close, even a child, even the man she loved when he threw himself between her and some bastards who wanted to put her down like a dog! Are you gonna tell me she chose that?!"

"I…"

"Is that it?!" Zaveid demanded. "You think she was corrupt, because she loved so deeply?! Are you gonna say she shouldn't have helped those kids?! That someone with a truly pure heart would have left those kids to rot?! Huh?! Or are you gonna say that the kids corrupted her intentionally, that they deserved to lose everything, that they willingly destroyed the only thing they had left in this cruel, miserable world that had already taken everything from them?!"

Sadie had gone white, her mouth slack.

"Malevolence isn't fair, Sadie!" Zaveid shouted at her. "It's not the just desserts of people who've earned it! Malevolence is a blight, a curse on this world, and it's always the innocent who suffer from it the most! This, right here?" He waved a hand at where the Minotauros had been. "This isn't justice! We didn't put down some evil children who had it coming! Sure, some kids are born bad, and some choose it, but whether they were given a choice or not, _no kid deserves this_!"

Biting her lip, Edna stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "Zaveid," she said softly.

He looked down at her with wild eyes, then gripped her hand back, so tightly she thought he might break it.

"No kid deserves this," he repeated under his breath. "No child deserves to lose everything before they can even stand on their own in this world. And malevolence isn't some badge of shame, it takes the innocent and leaves the guilty just as often as the other way around. Never say someone deserved to die just because malevolence got to them. Never."

"Lord Zaveid."

Zaveid and Edna looked at Sadie, and saw that there were tears tracking down her face. All at once, she dropped to one knee, bowing her head.

"I…I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I promised I would never cause you offense through my ignorance again, yet I have broken my vow. And…I'm so sorry about your friend." She swallowed hard and looked up at the wind seraph. "May I ask…where she is now?" the girl inquired.

Edna felt Zaveid's grip on her hand tighten. "Dead," he growled. "She's been dead for a long time, and she's happier for it. Death is the only salvation for a dragon." He took a deep breath. "That's the cruelest, sickest part of the cruel, sick joke that is malevolence: once a seraph is corrupted too deeply, they can't go back, no matter how much they might want to. Humans, though…they're the very sources of malevolence in this world, but it's never too late for humans. A human can actively choose to embrace malevolence, can live on it, but if they decide they want to be purified, they can always be cleansed. Lucky bastards…" He turned his head and glanced at Eizen. "Then again…a soul that can do that, find its way back to the light after embracing darkness…well, I guess, in a way, that's true goodness, too. And I'm honored to know a couple of people like that."

"I…see," Sadie stammered; she also glanced at Eizen, and Edna knew she had understood what Zaveid was trying to say. "And your friend, um…the man she loved. What became of him?"

Blinking in alarm, Edna turned to Zaveid, and saw that his face was blank. "Also gone. _Long_ gone," he added with a sharp glance at Eizen and Edna, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I…I'm so sorry," Sadie repeated.

"Don't be," Zaveid replied, turning back to her, his tone empty. "It is what it is…just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

The Squire didn't respond to this; no one did. Edna stared at her Prime Lord. It wasn't just what he'd said that shocked her, it was the fact that he seemed like he really meant it. _Was he…not talking about Theodora? How many other perfect souls who were malakhim and turned into dragons after taking in abandoned kids could there be? No, he definitely meant her…but then…_

She sighed, heavily, trying to return the grip on her hand, though her own fingers had gone numb. "I guess…this journey turned out to be a trip down memory lane for both of us," she said. It was the only thing she could think to say.

"Yeah," he sighed, and he released her. "Can we go now? I'm sick of this place."

Without waiting for a response, he retreated within Eizen. Edna followed suit as the Shepherd nodded.

"Right," the human boy said, and he looked over at Sadie as she got to her feet. "Sadie…it'll be dark soon. We should head back to Pendrago and stay at the inn."

"Will we get back before nightfall?" Sadie asked him, wiping away her tears.

"Maybe not," Eizen replied, "but we don't have to traverse dangerous terrain like Westronbolt Gorge this time, and it's not far…plus, I could use a hot meal and a real bed. Couldn't you?"

"Y…Yes," Sadie stammered, nodding, and she followed Eizen as they climbed the stairs and made their way back through the horrible shrine. Edna and Zaveid emerged when they had to quell more of the hellions that had been created from the atrocities committed here, but stayed within Eizen as much as they could.

As the sun set, the Shepherd and his Squire pushed through the seaside pasture named for an ancient pirate king and returned to the farmlands around the capital of the Rolance Empire. High above, the stars emerged, a few at a time, to twinkle coldly in the night sky, ever watching, ever knowing, ever distant.


	13. Feeling So Small

**Sidequest time! The latter half of this chapter will be taken up by what would, if this were a game, be a sidequest. It is important enough to character development for me to include in a written story, but I will readily admit up front that a sidequest is what it is.**

**I do have some good news! Due to a sudden surge of writing productivity, from this point on, new chapters will be released every six days instead of every seven! So don't worry, you won't have to wait as long for this story to get back to the point. Cheers! :)**

* * *

All night, in the bed across the room from Eizen, his Prime Lord tossed and turned, mumbling incoherent but troubled-sounding gibberish. Between that and Eizen's own unsettled thoughts, what had already promised to be a rough night ended up being even rougher. Still, Eizen must have drifted off eventually, because all too soon, sunlight was burning through his eyelids and rousing him. He groaned, wanting nothing more than to turn over and go back to sleep, but one poor night's sleep wasn't enough to slow down a Rangetsu, and he drew on his father's training to shove his weariness aside and get up. After he finished tending his morning hygiene, he came back into the room to find his uncle strapping his weapons around his wrists.

"Good morning, kiddo," Zaveid greeted, almost cheerfully. "How'd you sleep?"

"Horribly," Eizen replied honestly. "Has anyone ever told you you talk in your sleep, uncle?"

Immediately, the wind seraph's smile dimmed. "I do?" he asked guardedly. "What did I say?"

"I couldn't make anything out," Eizen replied, "but it was loud enough to keep me up half the night."

"You should've woken me," Zaveid told him; "we seraphim don't really need sleep, at least not the way humans do."

"So why _do_ you sleep?" Eizen asked, suddenly curious.

"Same reasons humans do," Zaveid answered with a smirk as he pulled on his boots. "Get some rest, regroup, turn our brains off for a few hours."

"Turn your brain off," Eizen repeated softly. "I think you needed that more than me last night, Zaveid." Though he'd definitely needed it, too.

"How come?" the wind seraph asked, his orange eyes glaring at Eizen, daring him to answer.

Eizen hesitated for a moment, then decided he wasn't scared of his Prime Lord. "You were really upset yesterday," he answered.

Zaveid chuckled. "You're getting bolder, kiddo, I'll give you that," he remarked, standing up and stretching before donning his hat, ready to go.

"Are you okay?" Eizen pressed.

"I'm fine," Zaveid replied, and Eizen truly couldn't tell how honest of an answer this was. "When you've lived as long as I have, you know not to dwell on the things you can't change. What about you?"

_"Things you can't change"_…but did that description really apply to what they'd seen? "I…I'll be okay…You think Morgrim has a lead for us?" Eizen asked, deciding to change the subject for now. "We completed the trials in two days, maybe she needs more time."

"Oh, I'm sure she worked fast," Zaveid chuckled, making for the door. "Don't let her size fool ya, she's a clever and powerful old seraph. She does what needs to be done."

Outside, they met up with Edna and Sadie, the latter of whom also seemed more composed and refreshed than when Eizen had last seen her. Still, he couldn't help but keep an eye on her as they ate breakfast and left for the Shrinechurch, Zaveid leading the way this time. With her, it wasn't just the Earth Trial - the Wind Trial, too, had put her in a lot of uncomfortable situations, some of which he knew he couldn't begin to guess at. Was she really as stable as she pretended to be? Had she just shoved it all aside, or had she started to really think about what she'd learned so far? Would she…stop hating him soon?

_It doesn't matter,_ he told himself firmly. _It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of me, especially Sadie._

But setting thoughts of Sadie aside only left him with one troubling problem that refused to leave him alone: Rested though he was, he couldn't stop thinking about the horrors of the Morgause Shrine. When they reached the steps to the Pendrago Shrinechuch, Eizen hesitated, unwilling to just move on to the next thing. Considering what they'd had to face in the shrine of Lord Eumacia, somehow, the Earth Trial felt…incomplete. Like there was something more he needed to do despite having already obtained the spiritual power of earth, just as there had been for the Wind Trial.

Zaveid and Sadie were halfway up the steps before they noticed that their Shepherd wasn't with them and stopped, turning back to face him. Eizen didn't say anything; for a long minute, he stood at the base of the steps that led to the Pendrago Shrinechurch, trying to just move on - other Shepherds had, after all, and he wouldn't be the last - but moving on felt wrong…and he had a favor to call in with a certain someone anyway…

Steeling his resolve, Eizen turned away from the Sanctuary and started walking down another path._ Eizen?_ Edna asked as Zaveid retreated within him in surprise and Sadie jogged back down the steps. _Where are you going?_

"There's something we need to do first," he told his seraphim and Squire. "Come on."

Luckily, he remembered that it was a short, straight shot to the military headquarters, and he was able to find the building marked with a banner out front. Two soldiers stood guard, and Eizen approached them.

"I need to speak to Captain Martin," he declared. "I am the Shepherd, Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe, and I have a favor to ask of him."

"Sir," nodded the soldiers, and one of them entered the tower, emerging only a couple of minutes later with the captain in tow.

"Shepherd," Martin greeted. "I hear there is something you would ask of me?"

"There is," Eizen nodded. "To the east of here, there's an area known as Aifread's Hunting Ground, and within it, there's an ancient shrine to the Great Lord Eumacia called the Morgause Shrine. I was just there with my comrades, because that's where Shepherds must go to obtain the spiritual power of earth, and while we were there, we learned something horrible: the Morgause Shrine is a place where, for countless generations, people have abandoned unwanted children to die."

Martin nodded, and the fact that he didn't seem at all surprised made Eizen feel sick to his stomach.

"This is unconscionable," he told the captain firmly. "There needs to be a law against it."

"A law?" repeated Captain Martin, his eyes widening in alarm.

Zaveid emerged before Eizen could even ask him to do so. "Damn right there should," the wind seraph said gravely. "Y'all send soldiers to stop people from killing themselves in Westronbolt Gorge, so how come you let people abandon innocent kids to die in Aifread's Hunting Ground? At least the people taking their own lives are making their own choices; those kids aren't being given any choice!"

"It is…" Martin sighed. "It is not unlawful for people to sacrifice themselves at the tower in Westronbolt Gorge, any more than it is unlawful for them to abandon young ones in the shrine in Aifread's Hunting Ground, merely discouraged. It is discouraged for parents to abandon their children as well, but-"

"But nothing!" Zaveid snapped. "An old friend of mine used to say that there's nothing in this world more precious or more important than a child. If you'd stop people from killing themselves, you should stop them from killing their own kids. Any human who brings new life into this world has a responsibility to raise and nurture that life, no matter what it costs them or how much trouble it might be."

"This…old friend of yours," Martin said slowly, looking at Zaveid. "Was he-?"

"_She_," Zaveid emphasized, "was a seraph. And lemme tell ya, she would have brought heaven's wrath down on this entire nation for letting this kind of thing happen, and I'd be more than happy to do so in her place. So start making a change and end this gruesome tradition, or there'll be hell to pay."

"Laws cannot be made so quickly," Martin began.

"It doesn't matter if it's a law yet or not," Eizen stated; "send some soldiers to guard the shrine and make sure no more children die there while you make it a law, and keep up the guard after it's done." He sighed, then added, "You said that if there was ever anything you could do to repay me for quelling Lastonbell, you would do it; this is what I am asking of you in return. Put an end to the atrocities committed at the Morgause Shrine, in the name of the seraphim."

"In the name of the seraphim…" Martin repeated, eyeing Zaveid, and at last, he bowed his head. "Very well," he conceded. "If that is your price for putting an end to General Donovan, I will see to it that it is so. From this day forth, the military forces of Rolance will actively work to ensure no more children are left to die at the Morgause Shrine, regardless of what laws are or are not in place."

"Thank you," Eizen told him as Zaveid came to rest back within his chest. "Now, we must be on our way; we will trust you to see to this matter at all cost."

"As you wish, noble Shepherd," Martin nodded. "Farewell."

A weight lifted off Eizen's shoulders, and he took a deep breath as he turned back and headed for the Pendrago Shrinechurch.

_Didn't Pawan say Lord Eumacia got mad at him for trying to stop parents from abandoning their kids at the shrine?_ Edna asked.

"It doesn't matter," Eizen told her. "Lord Eumacia can be as mad at me as he wants; I'm not going to just stand back and let that tradition continue. And somehow…I feel like this is the spirit half of the Earth Trial. There's something I can do to make things better, so it's my responsibility to do it. I couldn't move on until that was done. Even if Captain Martin doesn't follow through, I did my part."

"Do you think he wouldn't?" Sadie asked, speaking up for the first time all day.

"I don't know," Eizen admitted. "He seemed…like he didn't really want to do as I said."

_That's probably because he ain't a politician, _Zaveid remarked._ Politics are complicated, and not the business of the military; making laws doesn't have much to do with Martin's job. That said, he strikes me as a pretty honorable guy. I think he'll do as we asked - at least, as best he can._

"Well, I certainly hope so," Eizen sighed, ascending the steps to the ancient Sanctuary at last, and he could feel that his seraphim, and probably Sadie, agreed with him.

~o~

When they arrived in the back room of the Pendrago Shrinechurch, they found Morgrim waiting in the same place as last time, seated at the base of the monolith that told of the Shepherd's trials. She didn't seem at all surprised to see them.

"So," she said, and the fact that her mouth didn't move when she talked still unsettled Eizen slightly, "you have returned, and promptly too. I must say, I am impressed, though far from surprised. I would expect nothing less of a Rangetsu."

"Guardian seraph Morgrim, we have completed the trials of Eumacia and Hyanoa, as you told us to," Eizen said, careful to stay formal. "Have you had any luck with your search?"

"More than luck, son of Rokurou," Morgrim purred. The white cat stood, stretching her plump body, then sat back down and tucked her front legs under her. "I will deliver the bad news first," she told them; "I could not, for the life of me, find any hints as to where one might find a water seraph who would be both willing and able to help you in your quest. But do not despair, I am sure you will find one with or without my help; these things have a way of working themselves out."

"It means a lot to us that you tried," Eizen told her; "thank you."

"So polite," she commented, her purr - like that of a normal cat - growing louder for a moment. "In any case, I do have some good news. You see, in recent centuries, I have heard rumors…well, not even rumors, truth be told, but prayers, the occasional prayer of thanks to a phenomenon many humans have witnessed in the frozen lands far to the north, a phenomenon that has garnered the name of 'Fire Angel'. After asking around, I have learned enough that I feel comfortable sharing my knowledge with you.

"There are a couple of settlements in the frozen north, but getting to them, or even maintaining paths to them, is not easy, given the constant winds and snowfall; it is all but commonplace for a traveller to get lost in the icy tundras, and run the risk of freezing to death. However, many humans who have found themselves in this dire situation have, over the last few centuries, reported suddenly being surrounded by a ring of warm fire that burns away the chill and revitalizes them, followed by a clearly-marked path to the nearest settlement appearing in the snow once their strength returns." Morgrim sat up to scratch at her side with one rear leg, then settled back down and continued, "In addition, it seems that within the last two decades, encounters with this event have coincided with sightings of a beautiful young woman with brilliant red hair. Of course, those who see this young woman are always delirious with cold, so no one can be sure of the Fire Angel's identity, but given the sightings of this person coinciding with the advent of the recent calamity, it is more than enough to suggest that a fire seraph is indeed behind this phenomenon, rather than an unmanned seraphic arte."

"A beautiful young woman, you say?" Zaveid asked with a lopsided grin. "Well, we should _definitely_ check that out."

"Seriously?" Edna glowered at him.

"I mean, we'd have to have a look anyway," the wind seraph shrugged; "if one fire seraph has been using their powers like that for centuries, they must be pretty powerful." His smirk twisted. "If she's hot in more ways than one, that's just icing on the cake."

"The frozen north," Eizen mused, cutting off the budding argument before Sadie's sanity was put at risk. "That's…a long ways away."

"Indeed," Morgrim confirmed; "further from here than even Ladylake. However, it may be well worth your time. In any case, I can discover no other hints as to where a fire seraph powerful enough to aid you might be found."

"Thank you, Morgrim," Eizen told her, bowing. "We will look into this Fire Angel - we should cross the Great Camelot Bridge to lend aid to the settlements in the west anyway. When we come back, we'll let you know what we found."

"No need for that," Morgrim told him. "Please, carry on with your duties, waste no time; this Lord of Calamity will not wait for her Shepherd to gather his strength."

Eizen nodded. "Thank you," he repeated. "For…everything."

"I wish you well," Morgrim declared, and Eizen turned to go.

"Lady Morgrim?"

Sadie spoke up suddenly, and everyone turned to her. She was blushing, but met the cat seraph's eyes steadily.

"Yes?" Morgrim asked.

"I…I wanted to thank you…for the advice you gave me," Sadie said. "Your words helped me in a time of great need."

"I pray that they will aid you many more times to come," Morgrim said. She tilted her head and added, "Your burden is growing, yet you are bearing it well. It will be worth the pain, young Squire, have no doubt."

Sadie bowed, deeply, her cheeks still flushed.

"Be on your way," Morgrim said, turning her gaze to all of them. "You have a long journey ahead of you."

"Thank you," Eizen said, and he left; Zaveid and Edna retreated to rest within him, and Sadie brought up the rear.

Morgrim's voice followed him as he walked away: "Thank _you_, son of Rokurou."

The fact that she still called him that bothered Eizen slightly - though he knew his father had honored his brother's last request to not harm Morgrim, the fact that Shigure had even felt a need to make such a request said a lot about how things had been left between Rokurou and the cat seraph._ Once I've saved my father, I'll tell him where to find her,_ Eizen decided. _Maybe they can still reconcile._

~o~

Part of Eizen wanted to ask Captain Martin for a means of getting to the north a bit faster, maybe some horses, but Edna pointed out that the animals would only get in the way of them quelling hellions on the way, as would a cart. Between that and the fact that he'd already called in his favor and wanted to give the captain as little reason as possible to neglect guarding the Morgause Shrine, Eizen didn't even take one step in the direction of the soldiers' headquarters again. Instead, the four heroes left on foot, turning northwest and hiking to the Great Camelot Bridge.

The bridge across the water was of course something Eizen had learned about in school, but he'd never really given it much thought. A man-made structure spanning an entire sea just to circumvent a treacherous mountain range seemed like an inconceivable creation, yet when they reached the northern shore, there it was, a massive expanse of cut stone that extended far to the horizon. Crossing it would have taken the rest of the day if they'd been going full speed; as it was, there were an alarming number of hellions here, and they'd barely gotten to the informal settlement at the halfway point by midafternoon. They had to camp there for the night, then carry on in the morning.

Though the journey was long, it was refreshing, in a way. After facing some of the hardest truths about the world in quick succession, it was nice to have some time to process all that they'd seen since leaving Ladylake without anything new cropping up. Quell hellions, keep walking, stop for food and rest when necessary; it was exhausting, but satisfying. The four companions exchanged words frequently, even Sadie, but through some unspoken consensus, they all avoided any particularly heavy topics.

On the other side of the bridge, they reached the Zaphgott Moor, which was incredibly hot and dry; Eizen had never felt anything like it, and quickly regretted that he always wore all black. Still, the darker complexion he'd inherited from his father meant he handled it better than Sadie could, with her light leather armor and porcelain skin. It was a relief when the sun set, though the nighttime brought a surprising chill with it.

They camped in the sand, then carried on in the morning. Zaveid was leading the way, for which Eizen was grateful, as the barren land seemed endless and impossible to navigate. Then, suddenly, Edna emerged from within him and spoke.

"Where do you think you're going, dummy?" she growled at Zaveid. "North is that way." She pointed to their right with her umbrella.

"We need to stop by Lohgrin first," Zaveid replied readily.

"Why?"

"The north is sealed off by a seraphic arte," the wind seraph explained. "If we're going to get through, we need permission from the Lord of the Land. Don't worry, he won't argue; he didn't when I came this way a few years ago for a Unicorn Horn."

"Yeah, but there wasn't a Lord of Calamity a few years ago," Edna muttered.

Their earth seraph stayed manifested as they clambered their way over sand and rocks, quelling every hellion they found; the creatures were surprisingly strong here, though Eizen didn't think the local blessing had been disturbed. Eventually, they came within sight of a ruined stone tower, which Eizen knew housed the only settlement this side of the Great Camelot Bridge that wasn't in the icy north.

And that wasn't all he knew.

"This tower…" he said softly. "It was…built in my parents' time, huh? As part of Artorius Collbrande's Abbey?"

"That's what they say," Zaveid shrugged, and he tossed a smile over his shoulder. "Kinda funny how it's serving a good purpose now."

"Let me guess," Edna said drily; "another one of life's cruel, sick jokes?"

Zaveid chuckled, but was cut off from replying by a sudden shout that stopped the four travelers in their tracks. A sentry they hadn't seen emerged from behind a desert tree, pelting for the doorway set in the crumbling stone wall.

"Hey, wait!" Eizen called, running after the person.

The doors closed behind the sentry, and a minute later, a massive wall of solid rock rose up from the ground, cutting off all access to the village in the tower remains.

Eizen skidded to a stop in the sand and turned to Edna. "Big sis?" he asked, confused.

"Don't look at me," she shrugged, "I'm not the only earth seraph in the world. I can take it down, though."

"Take it easy there, babe," Zaveid said, putting a hand on her slim shoulder. "Think for a moment. Everyone living here is probably terrified, being so far from either nation's military reach. If you tear down their defenses, they'll just panic."

"And I suppose you have a better idea?" Edna asked him.

"Sure do," Zaveid smirked. "Leave it to me. I got this."

He stepped back, then settled into a stance, hands raised, as though he was preparing to cast a seraphic arte. Mana began to glow under his skin, outshining even the merciless sun overhead, and a green-tinted breeze picked up, flowing past the group and over the stone barrier in front of them before swirling into a gentle cyclone above the village beyond. Zaveid held it there for a minute, then waved a hand, and the arte dissipated.

"Very impressive," Edna remarked sarcastically. "Now what?"

"Just wait a minute," Zaveid told her. "Be patient for once."

Edna jabbed him with her umbrella, even as a small opening crumbled in the stone at eye level.

"Identify yourselves!" called a voice.

"My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe; I am the Shepherd," Eizen called back, the speech by now familiar in his mouth. "My companions are Sadie Halloway, my Squire; Zaveid, my Prime Lord; and Edna, my Sub Lord. We mean you no harm."

A minute passed as Eizen waited, presumably while the message was relayed to whoever was in charge in Lohgrin. Then, at last, the stone wall dropped back into the ground, revealing two earth seraphim in yellow robes.

"Come inside, then," grunted one, and they turned and opened the doors.

Edna and Zaveid stayed manifested as the four travelers made their way into the ruins of the ancient exorcists' tower. Inside, they weren't met with the sight of a bustling town or village; instead, they were surrounded by a wary crowd of people, dozens of pairs of suspicious eyes piercing them from all directions, human and seraph alike. _Zaveid's right,_ Eizen thought; _they're all terrified. They probably expect to be overrun any day now. We need to get north and find the Fire Angel…and maybe one of the water seraphim here will be willing to join us, too._ For he'd noticed a couple of blue-haired individuals among the people of Lohgrin.

A bald, old-looking seraph in a green robe hobbled forward, standing in front of the crowd. "You are the Shepherd?" he asked in a voice rough with age.

"I am," Eizen nodded. "And you are…?"

"Guardian seraph Alken," the decrepit wind seraph replied. He turned his wrinkled gaze on Zaveid. "I seem to remember you," he remarked. "Yet something has changed."

"I'm the Prime Lord now," Zaveid told him. "But even if that wasn't so, one wind seraph wouldn't lie to another, would he?"

Alken gave a _harrumph!_, as though he disapproved of Zaveid, then looked back at Eizen. "Good of you to come here, noble Shepherd," he said. "It is a relief to know the Lord of Calamity has not been given free rein just yet. How can we be of assistance to you?"

"We need to get to the frozen north," Eizen told him. "We've heard that a fire seraph lives there who might be able to help us. The Fire Angel."

"Ahh, that one," Alken nodded. "Yes, I've heard of her. Said to be a vision of loveliness, that one is, and quite powerful besides…Very well; I shall open the way for you. When you reach the gate, simply knock three times, and the seal will let you pass."

"Thank you, guardian seraph Alken," Eizen said with a bow. He glanced around at all the citizens still cowering in fear, at their sunken eyes and, in the case of the humans, their thin bodies. "Has Niko been terrorizing you? Can we do anything?"

"Who is Niko?" Alken asked.

Eizen winced. "The Lord of Calamity," he explained. "She's a girl named Niko."

"Hmm…" Suddenly, the eyes of the Lord of the Land seemed sharp enough to pierce metal. "And how do you know her?" he questioned.

An umbrella prodded Eizen in the side. "Just tell him," Edna murmured.

"She…She is my sister," Eizen confessed.

Gasps of alarm and terror swept through the crowd.

"But I'm not like her," Eizen added quickly. "She's always been unstable, I only want to stop her from drowning the world in malevolence like she's always wanted."

"A strange family you come from, Shepherd," Alken said slowly. He didn't seem hostile.

"You don't know the half of it," Sadie piped up.

It was all Eizen could do not to groan as she stepped forward.

"His parents are ancient hellions, both of them," Sadie stated.

"_Were_ ancient hellions," Edna corrected; "they were purified and blessed by Maotelus almost twenty years ago."

"His mother was once the Lord of Calamity herself," Sadie continued, raising her voice.

"Yeah, when the Five Lords were led by Innominat, and she took him down so Maotelus could take his place and grant the world the power of purification," Edna inserted.

Sadie growled.

"It doesn't matter who my family is or was," Eizen said firmly. "I am the Shepherd, and that's the end of it. Alken, please, is there something we can do to help your people before we go?"

"You can put a stop to your sister," Alken replied frankly. "This Lord of Calamity wields great and terrible power; so long as she lives, all our lives are in danger. Nothing else you do would be of service to anyone."

"Understood," Eizen nodded. He turned to glance at the water seraphim he'd noticed and added, "In that case, would any of the water seraphim here be willing to join us? We need a water seraph, as well as a fire seraph; even if the Fire Angel agrees to help us, we won't have everything we need to stop the Lord of Calamity."

The three water seraphim exchanged looks, then all shook their heads. "We're needed here," said one; "water is scarce in a land like this, and without our help, one siege by even the weakest of hellions would spell certain doom for all the citizens of Lohgrin."

"What a convenient excuse," Edna muttered, but Eizen ignored her.

"I understand," was all he said. "Then we will go. Please, hold on until we are able to gather the power we need; we will stop the Lord of Calamity as soon as we can."

With that, he turned to leave, Sadie and his seraphim joining him.

"Wait!"

A sudden cry from the crowd stopped Eizen in his tracks. Looking back, he saw a brunette woman with a swollen belly push her way through the people surrounding them, a haggard-faced man chasing after her.

"Please," the woman sobbed, lunging forward and grabbing the edge of the Shepherd's cloak. "Please, noble Shepherd, find my daughter, Ivy. She's been missing ever since the Lord of Calamity came to us; she's only five years old. I can't go out looking for her, but you can."

"Uh…" Eizen stammered, glancing at his allies helplessly. "I, uh…well…we don't have much time, and…I mean, do you have any idea where she might be?"

"She probably ran off to the Plitzerback Wetland again," the woman replied. "Won't you search there for her, please?"

"The Plitzerback Wetland?" Zaveid repeated, stepping forward. "That's a long way for a five-year-old to run off to."

"She loves it down there," the woman explained with a resigned smile. "Always talks about how she hates the dry heat we live in, and she can be very stubborn…but we love her anyway." Behind her, the man Eizen assumed was the father put a hand on his wife's shoulder and nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like someone we know," Edna muttered.

"Don't say that, big sis," Eizen scolded.

"In any case, that's the opposite direction from where we're headed," Edna went on; "we have more important things to take care of, and your daughter is probably dead anyway."

"She's not!" wailed the distraught mother. "She's alive, I know she is! Please, please find my Ivy!"

"Samali, please, enough of this." The words came from Alken, and Eizen turned to the elderly wind seraph. "There is a terrible hellion somewhere in the Plitzerback Wetland, and my blessing has been interrupted in that area; the Shepherd would be without my help even if he did go searching."

"And if there's a powerful hellion there, not to mention if your daughter's been gone for over a month, she's definitely dead," Edna shrugged. "We don't have time to waste hunting down her corpse for you." She turned her back, heading for the door again. "Come on, everyone."

"But Lady Edna-!"

Everyone turned to Sadie in surprise, even as she cut off. With all the attention on her, she quickly turned bright red; she opened her mouth, then closed it, biting her lip. Shuffled uncomfortably. Opened her mouth again. Closed it again.

"…Yes?" Edna asked at last.

Sadie winced, curling in on herself, her face still flushed. She opened her mouth a third time, her jaw working furiously, but no sound came out, and she clamped it shut again, still shuffling.

"Are you going to disagree with me?" Edna pressed.

Again, the Squire opened her mouth, and at last, she managed to make a sound. "I…I…" she stammered. "I…No, Lady Edna, of course not!" she finally blurted in a rush. "No, you're right, forgive me. I'm sorry I spoke."

"Hmm." Edna turned her back, twirling her umbrella. "That's a shame. For a minute there, I thought maybe you were showing signs of actually learning. But you've ruined it."

"Huh?" Sadie gasped.

"Too late now," Edna shrugged. "Come on, let's go."

"Edna, wait," Eizen said quickly.

Now he was the one with all the attention on him, but he lifted his chin. "If there's a powerful hellion disrupting Alken's blessing in the Plitzerback Wetland, we should go there and quell it anyway," he declared. "The Fire Angel can wait a little while longer. Miss…Samali, was it?" he asked, turning to the pregnant woman. "We'll find your daughter. I promise."

"Oh, thank you," she sobbed, dropping to her knees at his feet. "Thank you, noble Shepherd!"

"Don't thank us yet," Edna remarked, but Eizen was already heading for the doors.

_No time to waste._

~o~

It took them the rest of the day to journey all the way through Zaphgott Moor, and Eizen couldn't help but wince at every step they were taking away from their goal, but between the hellion that needed to be quelled and Sadie's progress, they couldn't walk away. For some reason, this mattered to Sadie, enough for her to almost disagree with a seraph, and that was more than enough for him to make the excuse.

A door led them out of the desert and into a short cave; they camped within its enclosed walls for the night before heading into the marsh that made up the westernmost corner of the continent in the morning. It was remarkable that a place so wet could exist right next to such a dry wasteland, and Eizen commented as much to his comrades.

"Things around here aren't exactly normal," Edna shrugged. "It's a result of the upheaval the land was thrown into fifteen hundred years ago."

"When the northern and western landmasses collided, they both wanted to keep their usual weather," Zaveid spoke up, "and that just didn't work. Some seraphim had to form a border between the two, or the conflicting climates would have wrought havoc - a lot of the damage to the tower housing Lohgrin happened then. That's why Zaphgott Moor is so hot and dry - it wasn't like that before, but the arte cast to keep the weather from going crazy kept all the cold on the northern side, leaving too much heat on the southern half."

"Huh," Eizen mused. _All because of my parents…_ "This powerful hellion…where do you think it could be?" he asked, preferring to change the subject.

"Beats me," Zaveid shrugged.

"And Ivy?" This question came from Sadie.

"That kid could be anywhere," Edna dismissed. "We're not really going to look for her, are we?"

"We might as well," Eizen said firmly. "Let's keep an eye out, okay?"

"Sure," Edna grumbled. "Let's all keep our eyes peeled for the month-old corpse of a five-year-old girl."

"We don't know she's dead," Eizen pointed out.

"Yeah we do."

Edna was probably right, but Eizen still found himself hoping, for Sadie's sake. Something had ignited behind those dark brown eyes; for the first time, it seemed as though there was something that was important to her personally, not because her family had raised her to believe it, and he didn't want that to end in pain.

They made their way across wet grass and massive lily pads, climbing over rocks draped with vines and breezing across stretches of sinking mud with Silver Wind. The Plitzerback Wetland was a wilderness, and as always, there were plenty of hellions, squidlike creatures and vicious plants. None were particularly powerful, but they were stronger than the ones on the other side of the Great Camelot Bridge had been, and the band had to be careful, as their supply of medicine was running low. _Better restock when we pass by Lohgrin on the way north again,_ Eizen decided.

Finally, on top of one of the tall, flat rocks that dotted the bog, they found a living tree stump that burned with far more malevolence than any of the other hellions had. When it turned on them, Eizen thought he could make out a small figure inside its mouth, but it was hard to tell. There was no need to speak; they all knew this was the hellion they'd come for, and they charged into battle readily.

For something that looked so mundane, the hellion put up a terrific fight, all but shrugging off blows and seraphic artes alike. Even the armatus was of minimal help; Eizen armatized with Edna and Sadie armatized with Zaveid, each casting their ultimate Mystic Artes, and still, the walking tree kept coming, whipping them with its roots and stabbing up from under the ground with artes of its own. Only with healing artes were the four heroes able to maintain themselves, and the battle took at least an hour. Then, finally, the creature fell, the flames of purification washing over it…and nothing happened.

"It wasn't quelled?" Eizen gasped as he and Sadie de-armatized.

Defeated, the tree stump straightened up, and Eizen finally got a good look through its gaping mouth. Inside was a small child, its body mottled green and brown, like mossy tree bark.

"Go away!" wailed the voice of a little girl. "Leave me alone! I'm not going home!"

Horror turned Eizen's blood to ice. "Are you…Ivy?" he whispered.

"I'm not going home!" shouted the girl. "I'm never going home! I don't wanna, and my friend said I could stay here if I wanted, as long as I did what she said!"

"Your friend…" Eizen repeated. "Is your friend a hellion with big red claws who rides around on a white-horned dragon?"

"Yeah," Ivy replied. "She said I never had to go home, that I could stay here forever if I wanted, as long as I let her use me. So I did! And I'm not going home!"

_Niko._ Eizen gritted his teeth. That his own sister would take advantage of a five-year-old child like this…

"Ivy."

Sadie's sudden, stern voice drew everyone's attention. The Squire's eyes blazed as she glared at the plant hellion.

"You are coming home right now," Sadie told the girl sternly. "Your parents are worried sick about you; your mother begged us to find you."

"I don't wanna!" wailed the little girl.

"Life isn't about what you want!" Sadie snapped, stepping forward. "You're going to be a big sister soon, your mother is going to give birth to a little brother or sister for you any day now, and he or she will depend on you to have a good life! If you don't go back, your parents will never let your little sibling out of their sight! He or she will be hovered over every moment of every day, constantly told what to do and what to think - your parents will be so afraid of losing another child that they won't let the one they have live their life, and that will be your fault!"

"But it's so hot at home!" protested the hellion girl. "All hot and dry and sandy! I hate it there! I like it here, where it's all wet and marshy and green!"

"And I'm sure your little brother or sister will love it here too," Sadie said, "but if you don't go home, they'll never see this place. You'll never get to show them how beautiful this land is, because your parents won't let them leave the village. Your mother will cry for you every night, and your father will turn cold and mean. Every single person in your family will live broken lives, all because you stayed here. Is that what you want?"

"But…"

"Your parents love you!" Sadie went on furiously. "They love you even when you run away or cry about not getting what you want, and they need you! You think you can just stay here and they'll move on?! They won't, they never will! So you're going to stop being a hellion and go home right now, because that's what a good daughter should do! And if you're too selfish to, then…" She brandished her ax menacingly. "…then you're just a monster and you don't deserve to live!"

"Sadie…" Eizen breathed.

Behind him, Zaveid gasped, then jogged forward and waved his hand. White fire cascaded from his gesture, and the malevolence around Ivy was burned away, leaving a sobbing little girl with light brown hair. Eizen barely noticed, his attention was so focused on Sadie.

The Squire walked forward, knelt down, and put her arms around the crying child. "You'll be able to come back here," she told Ivy. "You're not going home forever. And the time you spend here is going to be that much more special for it. Right now, though, you need to come home."

Ivy wailed against Sadie's leather armor, but Sadie held her, patting the back of her head as tears stained her garments. Eizen just stared at her. Whatever was going on, there was so much more to Sadie than anyone gave her credit for, more than he thought he would ever know. In his heart, he felt something shift. _"The girl my dear brother has been so desperately in love with since before I was born,"_ that was what Niko had called the Squire…but, he realized, that wasn't quite true. Before Niko's birth, he'd been entranced by Sadie's golden hair, and he still was to this day; when he was eleven, he'd come home from school and told his parents about how then-13-year-old Sadie had been bragging about combat training with her father to her friends, and his own father had immediately approved of his attraction to her, stating that he was a true Rangetsu and it was in his blood to seek out the strongest female warrior to be his other half. But though both of those factors might have attracted him to her, that wasn't really love. Love…was when you wanted to protect someone from their own inner demons, from the world, and see them grow into the person they could be if not for, as Zaveid would say, life's cruel, sick jokes. As Sadie comforted this selfish little girl now, Eizen realized she had her own inner demons, her own pains, her own troubles, and that she was more than the judgments she passed on those around her. Sadie was struggling, but in this moment, he saw a glimmer of who she was underneath it all: a good, kind, loving person, a noble person, one who could be so much more than her parents wanted her to be. And Eizen wanted to help her achieve that.

He hadn't loved her before. He knew that, because he was only just beginning to love her now.

Eventually, Ivy's tears ran dry, and Sadie helped the child to her feet. "Don't wanna go home," Ivy mumbled.

"You're going home, Ivy," Sadie told her. "You can come back here another time; right now, your parents need you."

"Come on, kiddo, you'd get bored of being here eventually," Zaveid added. "It wouldn't be special if you were here all the time. Sometimes you gotta rough it to appreciate the good things in life."

Ivy looked up at Zaveid; she barely came up to his knee. "Who're you?" she hiccuped. "Are you…a seraph?"

"Sure am!" Zaveid grinned. "And you just fought the Shepherd himself. Put up a pretty good fight, too. I know I'm impressed."

"Shepherd?" the girl repeated, turning, not to Eizen, but to Sadie.

"This is Eizen," Edna spoke up, stepping forward and gesturing to Eizen with her umbrella. "He's the Shepherd. It's his job to help little lost lambs like you get home."

The girl spared Eizen one single glance, frowned, then looked back up at Sadie. "I'll go home," she said.

"Good," Sadie smiled, her tone more gentle than Eizen had ever heard it before, and she took Ivy's hand and led her over to the curtain of vines they'd climbed to reach this perch.

Getting back through the Plitzerback Wetland was difficult with a child in tow, but Edna was able to use her powers to make the land passable for the little girl. Ivy insisted that she could swim through the bog water just fine, but no one felt okay with letting her prove it. When they reached the cave, Ivy made some grumpy noises, but she didn't fight back as Sadie gripped her tiny hand and pulled her away from the swamp.

At last, they were back on the moor, trudging through the endless sand; they quelled elephant and scorpion hellions when they had to, but for the most part, they tried to avoid combat, for Ivy's sake. Eizen couldn't really blame Ivy for not wanting to live in a place like this, if he was honest with himself, but it was where her family was, and that was what was most important.

"I hate the sun," Ivy grumbled as they walked. "I hate the heat. It hurts."

"As long as this is where you live, though, you'll really be able to enjoy the wetlands when you go to them," Zaveid remarked. "You can't know pleasure unless you know pain. You'll understand when you're older," he added with a smirk.

Mercifully, Edna jabbed him with her umbrella. "She's five, you idiot," the earth seraph grumbled.

"Like I said, she'll understand when she's older," Zaveid shrugged.

Edna jabbed him again. Ivy, who had been looking at the seraphim behind her while still holding onto Sadie's hand, frowned. "Why are you hurting your friend?" she asked Edna.

"Because he's being stupid," Edna replied.

"Please stop," Ivy said in a small voice.

"Nah, it's okay, I don't mind," Zaveid dismissed with a grin. "It's like I was telling you just now. See, this girl here is the girl I'm gonna marry someday, and when she finally kisses me, her little love-jabs are gonna make it all the sweeter."

"The only reason I'm not going to stab you right now is because I know you want me to," Edna glowered at him.

"Lord Zaveid, Lady Edna, please," Sadie said softly, stopping right in the middle of the desert to kneel down to Ivy's eye level. "Ivy, listen to me," she told the little girl gently, "people who love each other don't hurt each other. Okay?"

"Okay," Ivy chirped.

As Sadie stood back up and continued leading the little girl through the barren wasteland, though, Eizen had to wonder how true that really was. People who loved each other didn't _like_ hurting each other, yes, but sometimes it was necessary, in a way - he loved his mother, but he'd become the Shepherd for her and all of his family's sake, even though he knew it pained her.

_His mother._ As they approached Lohgrin again, Eizen couldn't help but think of her, ashamed that he hadn't done so more often since leaving home. Was she okay? She must be safe, with the barrier maintained around Ladylake by Maotelus, but there was more to happiness than being safe. How much time and energy did she spend worrying about him while he was gone? Was she upset that he hadn't returned yet? She'd known he would be traveling across the world, but…

Zaveid sent an arte ahead of them as the tower remains came into view, just so the people of Lohgrin wouldn't panic again. Eizen set his wandering thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand: _Focus now, think later._ It seemed Samali had been waiting nervously at the doorway ever since they'd left, and as soon as they set foot within the crumbling stone walls, the pregnant woman came rushing forward, wailing with tears as she dropped down to embrace her daughter.

"Ivy!" she sobbed. "Ivy! You found her! You found my baby!"

"What happened?" asked the man who had to be the father of the woman's two children.

Sadie stepped forward. "Ivy was being held prisoner by the hellion interrupting Lord Alken's blessing in the swamp," she lied steadily, and Eizen stared at her. "We quelled it, and were able to bring her home. But perhaps, once the Lord of Calamity has been stopped, you should think about moving across the Great Camelot Bridge to one of the settlements in the south…your daughter wasn't happy about leaving the wetlands. She says the sunlight and the heat of the moors cause her pain."

"We know," the man said grimly. "We were thinking of moving soon, but Samali can't leave in her current state, and to bring a baby such a long distance would be dangerous."

"Then do spend some time at the Plitzerback Wetland whenever you get a chance," Sadie encouraged. Then she gave the mother a smile. "I wish you the best of luck with both of your children, Selana."

Samali blinked. "Um…thank you," she said, still hiccuping, "but my name is Samali."

Something flashed in Sadie's dark brown eyes, eyes Eizen had been trying to catch during this entire exchange. "Of…of course," stammered the Squire. "My apologies, Samali."

"Thank you, both of you," Samali said, turning to include Eizen in her gaze. "Thank you, noble Shepherd, for finding my daughter."

"Of course," Eizen said, giving the woman a slight bow. "That is the Shepherd's duty. Now…" He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We really must get going. We need to find the Fire Angel."

"Oh, won't you stay?" Samali exclaimed. "It will be dark soon."

"We've wasted enough time already," Edna commented, twirling her umbrella. "The longer we take recruiting the Fire Angel, the longer it'll be before the Lord of Calamity is stopped."

"She's right," Eizen agreed. "We need some medicine first, our supplies are running out, but then we have to get going."

"We don't have much medicine to spare," came the voice of Alken as he hobbled over. "But you are of course welcome to whatever you might need."

Eizen winced. "We'll just…take a couple of gels and go," he said. "Maybe one of the towns in the north will have more for us."

Several people came over at Alken's request, carrying all the supplies the town still had for Eizen and his allies to pick and choose from. Alken had been telling the truth; medicine was scarce. Eizen took three apple gels and a peach gel, leaving the few grape gels untouched, then stepped back and told his allies to do the same. They didn't argue.

Finally, Eizen gave Samali and the other townsfolk one last, respectful nod before turning back to the doors. "Thank you for sharing your supplies with us," he told them. "Please, all of you, stay safe, and hold out as long as you can. We will stop this menace as soon as possible."

No one else moved to interrupt them as the four adventurers finally left Lohgrin. Outside, Eizen couldn't help but glance at Sadie, whose eyes were distant and pained.

"Hey, uh, Sadie?"

"Yes?" Sadie blinked and turned to him as they walked.

"Um…" There were so many things Eizen wanted to ask, and many more he wanted to say. But when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was, "Who's Selana?"

"N-No one!" Sadie stammered, her cheeks flushing from more than just the sun. "I…forgot Samali's name, that's all."

"Aw, don't be like that, babe," Zaveid chided, turning back to cut her off and draping an arm over her shoulder. Eizen and Edna stopped as he halted the Squire in her tracks with his lean and gave her a wicked smile. "If you won't tell Eizen, then tell me."

Sadie looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

"Come on now, tell your Prime Lord all your dirty little secrets," Zaveid pressed, his nasty smile widening. "Who's Selana?"

"Sadie, it's okay to refuse to answer a seraph's questio-" Eizen began.

"No!" Sadie blurted. "No, it's - it's okay…" Though it was clear from her expression that it was anything but okay, she turned to meet Zaveid's gaze. "Selana…was my sister," she answered hesitantly.

"Oh." Zaveid blinked, apparently surprised, then frowned thoughtfully. "_Was_ your sister, huh?" he mused.

"Please, Lord Zaveid," Sadie murmured, "don't ask anything more of me, I beg you."

"Alright alright, sheesh," Zaveid said, shrugging off his perch on her shoulder and throwing up his hands. "It's not that big a deal."

But as the wind seraph led them the rest of the way north through Zaphgott Moor, Eizen wondered if maybe it might actually be that big of a deal. Maybe there was more to Sadie's judgmental attitude - to her _family's_ judgmental attitude - than just obnoxious misconceptions. Something about Ivy had bothered Sadie, for what felt like really personal reasons, and Eizen desperately wanted to know what those reasons were.

He wanted to know _everything_ about his Squire.

* * *

**Not sure if there would be a trophy for this sidequest, but if there was, it would be something akin to this: [image of Sadie hugging Ivy] "Legacy" - Proof that you've prevented selfishness from destroying the family a girl wanted to leave behind. The situation seems to speak to your Squire's past somehow…**


	14. Lost and Found

Edna decided to spend the rest of the walk to the north within Eizen, except to quell hellions. Night hadn't quite fallen by the time they finally reached the stone wall and metal doors carved with elaborate patterns that separated the hot, dry south from the frozen north.

"Here we are!" Zaveid announced, and Edna emerged.

"I thought you said the wall was a seraphic arte," Eizen remarked.

"It is," Zaveid shrugged, walking up to the doors in the wall. There were no immediately apparent means of opening it, and Edna watched closely - Sorey had seen this barrier during his journey, but they had never crossed it.

As instructed, Zaveid knocked against the metal gate three times, and suddenly the patterned filigree glowed brighter than the midday sun. Edna could feel the barrier tearing a split in itself as the doors slowly swung open towards them, admitting a blast of cold.

"Hurry through!" Zaveid urged, dashing through the opening.

Edna took shelter in Eizen's chest as the Shepherd and his Squire crossed the threshold. Almost instantly, the doors slammed shut behind them, the barrier of mana sealing closed once more, leaving them in a world that felt like the polar opposite of the Zaphgott Moor. Through Eizen's skin, it didn't feel quite as cold as Edna had been expecting, but it was frosty, the damp kind of frosty it got during a freezing rain just before winter. Though there were plants here, they were almost as gray as the sky - the hardy type of plant that grew with very little warmth and light.

"Ugh." Zaveid hugged himself, shivering, then quickly retreated within Eizen. _I did not miss this place,_ he remarked to his comrades. _I'd hoped I would never even have to come this far north again after I found a Unicorn Horn._

_It's your own fault for not wearing a shirt,_ Edna pointed out.

_I have an oath to keep!_ the wind seraph exclaimed defensively.

"I didn't know you could get cold, uncle Zaveid," Eizen said, frowning.

"Well, of course he can!" Sadie said, and her tone wasn't biting for once. "If he believes he would be cold, then he certainly would be. The mind controls the body, right?"

There was a brief beat of silence, and then Zaveid burst out laughing, Edna joining him. When Eizen turned to look at Sadie, Edna saw the way she blushed.

"I…I'm sorry," she stammered. "What did I say wrong?"

_We aren't laughing because you said something wrong,_ Edna told her; _we're laughing because you said something _right_ for once._

_Our little Sadie's growing up,_ Zaveid chuckled. _I'm impressed, babe. Yes, that's exactly what the problem is - I believe I'd be cold up here, so I am. Well done. Of course, I can't freeze to death unless I believe I can, which I don't - freezing takes flesh - but low temperatures are still unpleasant._

This final anecdote was probably lost on Sadie as she looked away from the vessel Zaveid was housed in demurely, clearly delighted by the praise. _Next step,_ Edna thought to herself, _get her to understand that a seraph's compliments don't mean more than a human's._ She felt her baby brother's smile and silently added, _And after that, we teach her that people whose parents used to be hellions can still be good people and to quit with this "hellion-spawn" nonsense._ For even though Sadie hadn't actually used the term since Edna had commanded her not to, it was obvious the Squire still thought it.

"Come on," Eizen finally said, turning away from the barrier to look out on the dull gray landscape, "we'll want to get to a town soon if we don't find the Fire Angel right away. Maybe someone there knows where to look for her."

_I'm not familiar with this area,_ Edna informed him, and she smirked. _You'll have to ask Zaveid to lead the way._

_I can give directions just fine from in here, thanks,_ Zaveid grumbled. _As for getting to a town…well… _Waves of sheepishness came from the wind seraph's home in Eizen's chest. _There ain't…exactly a nearby town,_ he admitted. _Hellawes is closest, but that's a sea route; if we're going by land, we won't find much until Meirchio._

_Meirchio?!_ Edna exclaimed. _That's as far north as it's possible to go!_

_Not quite,_ Zaveid said, _it's further south than Mt. Killaraus, the volcano…but…yeah, it's pretty far north. With my power, it's about a day's walk._

_We should have stopped for the night in Lohgrin,_ Edna groaned.

"No, it's okay," Eizen insisted firmly. "We'll go as long as we can, heading to Meirchio. Maybe if we seem like exhausted, lost travelers, the Fire Angel will come to us."

_We _will_ be exhausted, lost travelers,_ Edna pointed out grumpily, but Eizen was already walking, Sadie following behind.

Before too long, they were met with an unpleasant surprise: hellions. For some reason, Edna had almost expected an area sealed off by seraphic artes to not have any hellions, but of course, Niko was corrupting the whole world, she could always go around the barrier if she really wanted to. Emerging to fight was unpleasant - Edna was no stranger to cold winters on top of Rayfalke Spiritcrest, but her dress was intended for warmer climates, and that knowledge alone made her more susceptible to the chill.

Making this trek even worse was the fact that the chill only grew stronger the longer they trudged north, the stars above watching them with what Edna almost interpreted as amusement, until they were surrounded by solid ice and snow. From within, she could feel Eizen pushing through his weariness with an iron resolve she could only assume he'd learned from his father, but when he started to slip on the slick ground - just before dawn - she emerged and summoned walls of stone to pen him and his Squire in.

"Enough," she said flatly. "You're both getting some sleep. Now."

"Big sis," Eizen started to protest.

"_Now_," she repeated firmly.

"Thank you, Lady Edna," Sadie sighed gratefully, already dropping to her knees on the frozen earth.

As Edna finished setting up their shelter, Eizen reluctantly pulled out their sleeping bags. Both humans slept fitfully, even shielded from the daylight; Edna couldn't do the same trick she'd done in Westronbolt Gorge, since it was the water that kept the ground firm, not the earth. _We need a water seraph,_ she thought to herself. _Even if the Fire Angel joins us, we still won't have what we need to stop Niko. But where will we find one…?_

Just past noon, they emerged and pressed on. Now that they were in the true frozen north, the frigid wind whipped the humans' clothes and hair; whenever Edna had to emerge to help fight hellions, the wicked breeze seemed to tear into her very skin, even more brutal than Rayfalke Spiritcrest in the winter. For hours, they walked through a world of ice, a land gripped by eternal winter, the gusts that made the snow dance piercing through every gap in Eizen's outfit.

_Can't you make these winds leave us alone?_ Edna eventually demanded of Zaveid as dusk started to fall again. _It'll still be cold, but we'd be happier without it blasting us all the time._

_I can try,_ Zaveid replied, and he fell into silent concentration. Though the wind still stirred the snow, it suddenly seemed to go around them, nudged just slightly to either side, granting some relief. _This is hard,_ Zaveid ground out. _Constant control over the elements ain't easy, even for a seraph…_

"It's okay, uncle," Eizen told him. "We can manage. Besides, if we're controlling the climate, the Fire Angel might not come to us."

_Good point,_ Zaveid agreed, and he stopped doing whatever he'd been doing immediately.

Eizen glanced at Sadie, and Edna was equally curious. There was a slight unease to the Squire's expression, but nothing compared to how upset she might have been only a week ago to learn that a seraph's power was limited. _She really is learning,_ Edna commented to Eizen and Zaveid, keeping her words from Sadie.

_She's learning _fast_,_ Zaveid agreed. _Maybe she's always known the truth, deep down, and we're just helping her accept it. _His tone took a nasty edge as he added, _At this rate, I'll be able to make a move before too long. Better hurry up, kiddo, or I'll steal her from ya._

Desperately wishing they were both manifested so she could stab him, Edna jabbed him from within as best she could and demanded, _What happened to the men's code of honor you tried to invoke with Isan?_

_Codes of honor don't apply to a scoundrel like me, babe,_ Zaveid replied proudly, barely wincing at her attack. _Well, not if the situation involves a pretty lady. As soon as Sadie accepts that she's allowed to say no to me, she's fair game unless she's already taken. And even then…_ He chuckled wickedly.

_I really hope we find the Fire Angel soon,_ Edna grumbled. _Maybe she'll be able to keep you under control._

_I'm more hoping she'll keep me _distracted_,_ Zaveid remarked nastily.

_Zaveid,_ please_,_ Eizen thought at their Prime Lord. _Just…leave Sadie be, okay? I'm really glad she's starting to open up, but don't push her._

_I won't push anything,_ Zaveid stated. _Not until she's ready. But she will be someday, and if you don't seize the opportunity when it arises, I will._

_I swear I'll stab you if you do,_ Edna told him. _I will stab you in the _face_, multiple times__, until you're so disfigured no woman will ever want to even look at you again even if they do have low standards._

_Whoa, hey, don't you think that's overdoing it a little?_ Zaveid exclaimed. _Didn't think you were so protective of Sadie…_

It wasn't Sadie Edna was protective of, it was Eizen, but before she could comment as much, Eizen rounded a snowy hill to reveal the sight of a wall surrounding a town.

"Is that Meirchio?" Eizen asked out loud.

_Must be,_ Edna remarked.

_Yup, sure is,_ Zaveid confirmed. _Just a little northeast of here is the lifespring, Mt. Killaraus, where most of the continent's flamestone is mined; this town was built to help the people who came up here to gather such a valuable resource endure the cold. No one would live here otherwise…_

"Mt. Killaraus," Eizen said softly, looking into the far distance; on the horizon, the massive, fire-spewing mountain was only just visible. "That's…where my mother went to wake the Great Lords, sending the whole land into upheaval - the only reason we were able to walk here now." He sighed heavily. "At least it was only the land that was thrown into chaos, and not the people living on it. Some might hate her for it, but things could have been much worse if Innominat's Suppression hadn't been stopped."

Silence met his reminiscence; Sadie said nothing. When Eizen glanced back at the Squire, Edna thought she only looked conflicted, rather than outright hateful. _That was bold of you, baby brother,_ she remarked to Eizen privately. _She might have snapped at you again._

_Yeah,_ he thought, his response hidden from their comrades as well. _But we shouldn't lie to her, and…I don't know, it just felt right to mention. I think she'll be okay before long._

_That'd be nice,_ Edna muttered.

There were guards stationed at the entrance to Meirchio, of course, but they seemed oddly passive, and Edna wondered just how much time Niko had spent on this area. In any case, Eizen and Sadie weren't stopped from entering, and soon they were in the snowbound streets of the northern town. Not many people were out and about, and those who were seemed hurried, but it was hard to tell whether that was because of the Lord of Calamity or just the cold temperature.

_The Lord of the Land is still okay here, it seems,_ Zaveid remarked. _Maybe we should ask him if he can sense the Fire Angel somewhere within his domain before we turn in for the night._

_Wouldn't it make more sense to wait until morning?_ Edna asked pointedly. _By then, she could be somewhere else entirely._

_Yeah…_ Zaveid chuckled, and Edna was immediately on guard. _But I think we should talk to the Lord of the Land before we go to bed anyway. He'll be happy to meet our Shepherd._

"It's getting late, uncle Zaveid," Eizen said, "and we had a rough time getting here. I'm exhausted, and I could use a warm bed. We'll meet with the Lord of the Land tomorrow."

_Suit yourself,_ Zaveid snickered. _The inn's a little ways down this path, just look for the sign. But I really think you should reconsider._

_What's with the local Lord of the Land being so important?_ Edna asked.

_Oh, you'll find out,_ Zaveid replied wickedly. _I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise._

_Is this revenge for me not telling you about the Minotauros when you asked?_ Edna glowered at him, shielding the question from the humans as they walked through the snowbound city.

_Oh, no, not at all,_ the wind seraph answered, and Edna genuinely couldn't tell if his tone was sarcastic or not. _Nothing nasty's waiting for us, it's just a nice little surprise that I think our boy will appreciate. Who knows? Maybe he'll even be happy to finally meet you, too._

_"__Finally"?_ Edna repeated.

A nasty chuckle was the only response Zaveid gave, and when they reached the inn and both seraphim emerged for food and sleep, Edna couldn't help eyeing Zaveid warily. He smirked at her but said nothing.

~o~

In the morning, Edna was more than a little eager to head for the Meirchio Sanctuary and find out what Zaveid was up to. Neither Eizen nor Sadie seemed nearly as intrigued, though, and Edna was baffled at the slow, nonchalant pace of her vessel's footsteps as they emerged into the cold. He didn't even go for the Sanctuary right away, stopping instead at a shop to get more medicine - mercifully, the storekeeper had just gotten a supply of grape gels, which they immediately bought out, along with apple gels and peach gels, though Eizen warned them all that the grape gels were going to be for emergencies. Then, at last, they headed for the building that housed the Lord of the Land.

Inside, the Sanctuary was almost empty. Along the far wall, there was the usual altar, and on it stood a normin…with a big top hat that covered most of his face.

"No way!" Edna exclaimed, emerging into the cold room to observe the little creature with her own eyes. Confirming that Eizen wasn't seeing things, she turned to the wind seraph who had also manifested to watch what would happen next. "Zaveid, is this-?"

"Told ya," Zaveid chuckled as Eizen all but lunged forward. "He'll be happy to meet us."

"Hello there!" squeaked the purple normin in a grating voice. "You must be travelers. What brings you here?"

"Are you…Bienfu?" Eizen gasped as Sadie and his seraphim joined him in front of the altar.

"That's me!" the normin said proudly, putting his stubby hands on his hips and lifting his round little chin. "Guardian seraph Bienfu, at your service!"

"But you're…a normin, right?" Sadie asked. "I didn't realize normin could be Lords of the Land."

"The fifty dog normin can't be Lords of the Land," Bienfu told her, "but us cat normin are special. We get to do all the things regular seraphim can do."

"Why, though?" Sadie asked.

"No one knows," Zaveid answered for the annoying little creature. "There are fifty dog normin, and they all basically exist to lend their powers to greater seraphim, but then you get the occasional cat normin, who are normin, but wield the powers of greater seraphim as well."

"We _are_ greater seraphim," Bienfu corrected. "Or at least, I am. I've been the Lord of the Land for the frozen north for centuries. Go on, ask me anything!"

"Do you remember my parents?" Eizen asked.

Bienfu blinked. "Uh…"

"My parents are Velvet and Rokurou Rangetsu-Crowe," Eizen explained quickly. "My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe, and…and you knew my namesake too, right? They were all friends with the witch you were allied with, Magilou. Right?"

The purple normin blinked several times, his half-hidden face blank. Then, he folded his little arms. "Is this a joke?" he asked Zaveid. "One of those illusory artes you can cast now?"

"Nope!" Zaveid grinned. "This here's really the son of Velvet and Rokurou. Didn't I tell ya when I came by here a few years back? The seal holding Innominat is broken, and Velvet and Rokurou are human now, married and with three kids to boot. Eizen's one of 'em."

"And the Lord of Calamity is another," Eizen added softly. "You know there's a new Lord of Calamity, right, Bienfu?"

"Uh…yeah," Bienfu replied slowly. "Yeah, I know about the Lord of Calamity. This one's powerful. She's Velvet and Rokurou's daughter?"

"Yes," Eizen nodded. "And I'm the Shepherd now."

"The Shepherd?" Bienfu gasped, hopping in place. "Well, why didn't you say so?! This is an honor. Shepherds don't normally come up here!"

"Neither do Lords of Calamity, I'm guessing," Edna muttered.

"Wow…Velvet and Rokurou's son, the Shepherd," Bienfu said with a wistful smile. "I wish Miss Magilou had lived to see this. She would have been so happy for both of them. I'm happy to meet you, uh…what was your name again?"

"Eizen," Eizen repeated. "After Edna's older brother, another friend of yours."

"Oh yeah, I remember him too!" Bienfu exclaimed. "The Reaper, right? He wasn't so big and bad, not even when he was being super-scary."

"How well did you know my brother?" Edna couldn't help asking.

"_Your_ brother?" Bienfu asked, apparently only just noticing her. "Oh…Oh hey, you're his little sister, aren'tcha? Edna, right? He always talked about how sweet and delicate you were…"

Edna scowled, glaring at the little normin with all her wrath.

"Aaaah! Why are you glaring at me?" Bienfu wailed, suddenly teary-eyed. "This is scarier than Miss Magilou! _Bieeeeeeen_!"

His crying was unbearable. "Sheesh, I'm sorry," Edna grumbled, looking away.

"Bienfu," Eizen said, clearly trying to get the conversation back on the track they needed it to be, "it's so nice to meet you, but we aren't just here for a pleasant visit, we need your help. Have you ever heard of something called the Fire Angel?"

"Oh, yes!" Bienfu exclaimed, hopping again, his tears vanishing in an instant. "I know all about her! I've never met her since I have to stay here and maintain the blessing, but she's powerful! Is that why you came here?"

"Yes," Eizen answered. "My sister turned the previous Prime Lord, Lailah, into a dragon, and now we need to find a fire seraph who can help us if we're going to stop her. We were hoping the Fire Angel would be willing to lend us her help."

"Wait, so who's the Prime Lord?" Bienfu asked.

"That'd be me," Zaveid answered, his proud pose with his hands on his hips actually kind of mirroring the one Bienfu kept taking. "Say, while we're on the subject, what's your element, there, Bienfu?"

"I happen to be a fire seraph, myself," Bienfu replied.

"I thought void normin didn't have ties to any element," Edna remarked.

"Void normin? _Void normin_?!" Bienfu squeaked furiously. "Only dog normin can be void normin! Us cat normin are _special_! We all get elements, just like any other greater seraphim!"

"Jeez, sorry," Edna muttered. "I just assumed based on your color that you were a void normin. I don't understand the whole dog normin/cat normin deal, and I'm used to dog normin."

"It's a shame you're not a water seraph," Eizen interjected, serious as ever; "we need one of those, too. But if you could tell us where to look for the Fire Angel, we'd be very grateful for your help."

Bienfu thought for a minute. "I can feel her within my domain," he declared at last. "She's not close, though; she's really far to the east, and a little south."

Edna couldn't contain a sigh of relief - at least they didn't have to go even further away from the direction they'd come from.

"She's on the move," Bienfu went on, his eyes distant. "You'd better hurry up if you want to catch her, she doesn't stay in one place for long. Still, she never goes anywhere that isn't frozen; at this rate, she'll be swinging back this way by nightfall. You'd probably have the best luck if you go straight south and then stop to wait for her."

"Thank you, Bienfu," Eizen said with a slight bow. "I…I'm glad to meet another old friend of my parents. Maybe, after this is all over, I'll tell them where you are and the three of you can catch up."

"I'd like that," Bienfu said happily. "A nice big family reunion. I've been Lord of the Land since Miss Magilou died, at her command, and it gets lonely here sometimes, even now that everyone can see me. Hey," he suddenly said, understanding lighting in his eyes, "did that happen because Velvet's back?"

"Yes," Eizen told him; "Maotelus consumed what was left of Innominat after my father broke the seal my mother made."

"Velvet always has to cause trouble for the world, doesn't she?" Bienfu chuckled. "Ah well. Like everything else she ever did, I'm sure it'll be for the best in the end, if it's not already. A world where humans and seraphim coexist peacefully can't really happen if humans and seraphim can't interact."

"Amen to that!" Zaveid said. "Well, we gotta get going. Nice to see you again, Bienfu!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you…" Edna smirked. "_Fuchie Cass_."

Bienfu turned to Edna, his eyes wide under his hat. "No one," he said softly, "has called me by that name…in so long…" Suddenly, he lunged forward and hugged Edna's leg with surprising force. "_Bieeeeeeeeeeen_!" he wailed. "_Bieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen_!"

"Uh…" Edna stared at the hysterical little creature spewing tears all over her boots. "I'm…sorry?"

"I think those are happy tears, big sis," Eizen said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh." Edna stared a bit longer, then prodded the purple normin with her umbrella. "Can you let go? We have to find the Fire Angel."

"I'm sorry," Bienfu sniffled, finally releasing her. "It's just…no one has called me that in so long…and I've missed that name so much…"

"You still wear the hat," Edna pointed out. "You could tell other people to call you by that name if you wanted."

"That's too many names," Bienfu said. "My true name is Normin Breyve, you know. I was only Fuchie Cass when I served Miss Magilou. But I'll always wear this hat."

"What does Fuchie Cass mean, Lady Edna?" Sadie inquired.

"It means 'cute hat'," Edna replied. "Even if the one who gave him the name would tell you it means 'thing'."

"Yeah, Magilou was even more tempestuous than our dear Edna here," Zaveid said. "Honestly, I wish I'd gotten to know her better." His tone took on that husky edge Edna hated. "A girl that wild in all other aspects of life would have been-"

"Shut up," Edna scowled, jabbing the wind seraph with her umbrella, anticipating what he was going to say. "Not in front of Bienfu."

The cat normin in question climbed back up onto his altar. "I'll be here if you need me," he told them; "Miss Magilou's final command was that I stay here, so I will. But I hope you find the Fire Angel on your first try. Good luck!"

"Thank you, Bienfu," Eizen repeated, and he turned to go. "Come on, everyone."

Edna retreated to rest within Eizen, and Zaveid did the same. Then they were outside, braving the cold again in search of a fire seraph who would join them.

~o~

Cold and wind, snow and hellions; as far as Edna could tell, that was all there was to find here in the frozen north. Why any seraph would choose to spend all their time here was beyond her; she was glad she at least had a vessel to shelter inside, and that her vessel wore a Shepherd's cloak. Fighting kept her somewhat warm, though she didn't stay manifested a moment longer than she needed to as they headed back south, veering slightly east this time. Hours passed, and they found nothing.

Shortly past noon, Eizen stopped.

"What are you doing?" Sadie asked him, hugging herself against the whipping winds.

"Bienfu said we should stop and wait for the Fire Angel," Eizen reminded her. Then, much to Edna's alarm, the Shepherd removed the gauntlet on his right hand, then pulled off his cloak, followed by his tunic, leaving his chest bared to the elements.

"What the hell?" Zaveid exclaimed, emerging with Edna as the frigid temperatures assaulted their vessel. "What do you think you're doing?"

Shuddering, Edna placed her umbrella firmly between herself and the icy wind, her little Phoenix plushie flailing in the air.

"My father always said that cold weather training is great for endurance," Eizen replied, actually sitting down cross-legged in the snow and closing his eyes. "He trained up here for centuries. I want to see if my discipline is as strong as he always taught me to be."

"So what, you're just gonna freeze to death?!" Zaveid exclaimed, but Eizen was already cupping his hands in front of his naval, falling into a meditative state that Edna knew Zaveid couldn't penetrate.

"How inconsiderate," Edna remarked. "As our vessel, our resistance to the cold depends on him, but he's not even thinking of that."

She reached down and grabbed his tunic from the snowdrift he'd tossed his garments into, wrapping herself in the remnants of warmth from his human body heat. After a moment, Zaveid came over and grabbed the black-and-red cloak, covering his bare chest with the thick, silky garment.

"You okay, Sadie?" Zaveid asked their other companion.

"I think I'm better off than you two are, Lord Zaveid," she replied. "I'm sorry he's neglecting your needs like this, it's incredibly disrespectful of him. I would offer myself to keep you warm, but of course, I'm not your vessel."

Edna readied her umbrella to strike Zaveid, already anticipating what kind of remark he could make about that, but before he could even speak, a roaring sound caught their attention. They all turned in the direction of the noise, a little ways off to the left of the direction they'd been walking, and saw a torrent of fire blazing towards them like a river. Soon, they were surrounded by a ring of crackling flames, and the chill in the air began to subside.

"The Fire Angel," Sadie gasped. "She's here! Hey, um, Fire Angel! Please, come forth, we need to speak with you!"

As Zaveid and Edna huddled over the warm fire, Eizen emerged from his trance and stood up. "Fire Angel, are you there?!" he called, adding his voice to Sadie's. "We've been looking for you! Please come to us, we need your help!"

The two humans kept calling, and Edna glared at them for sounding so pathetic - no self-respecting seraph would answer to that kind of begging. Heat sank into her seraphic body, and soon she was able to unwrap Eizen's tunic and toss it at him. Zaveid did the same with the cloak, and Eizen donned them both, then strapped on his gauntlet, still calling for the Fire Angel.

Nothing happened for a good few minutes; there was no sign to indicate that the one who had sent the fire was even still around. Eizen and Sadie stopped calling out, and the four comrades looked between each other.

"Now what?" Eizen asked.

Edna had no response; no one else seemed to, either. Then, over the crackle of the flames, a new sound emerged from the frigid wasteland: footsteps, crunching through the snow.

Eizen gasped, and everyone turned to see a figure emerge from the snow blowing beyond the ring of flames…the figure of a pretty young woman. She wore a red tank top that left her midriff exposed, a red skirt that came halfway down her thigh, brown leggings, and knee-high leather boots that looked sturdy despite being light. Her hands and forearms were sheathed in leather gauntlets, which were lightly padded and strapped along her upper arms and across the top of her chest to hold their place. The woman's eyes were a vibrant green, like a new bud on a branch in spring, and her hair was the same bright scarlet as Edna's namesake, long enough to reach her waist and tied in a neat, tight braid; below the braid's tie, the hair turned white, and not with snow.

A fire seraph.

"Are you…the Fire Angel?" Eizen asked the woman as she entered the circle of warmth.

"You sure are hot enough to be one," Zaveid added with a smirk, giving her a slow, appreciative once-over.

The seraph blinked, eyeing Zaveid strangely, then rolled her eyes exasperatedly before pointedly turning her attention away from the wind seraph and aiming a pleasant smile at Eizen. "If that's what they call me," she replied cheerfully. "My name's Sahra. What was it you needed my help with, besides not freezing to death?"

"Sahra," Eizen greeted with a slight bow. "My name's Eizen; I am the Shepherd. This is Sadie, my Squire, and Zaveid and Edna. We came to the north because we heard about your power and are greatly in need of a fire seraph if we are to fight the Lord of Calamity. Would you be willing to join us?"

Sahra's bright green eyes darkened slightly, her smile faltering as she looked across their group. "Don't you already have a fire seraph?" she asked guardedly.

"The last fire seraph to serve the Shepherds, Lailah, was turned into a dragon by the current Lord of Calamity," Eizen explained. "The Lord of Calamity who plagues this world now is…powerful, frighteningly so. Have you seen two dragons flying around, carrying hellions on their backs? The one who rides the white-horned dragon is the Lord of Calamity. Dragons obey her, and most seraphim are too scared to fight back."

"Guess that explains the malevolent domain I've felt when those two are around," Sahra mused, pulling her braid over her left shoulder so she could fiddle with it thoughtfully. "A powerful one, too. But…I thought that, in order to be a Shepherd, you needed a Prime Lord, and that the Prime Lord was always a fire seraph."

"Traditionally, the Prime Lord is a fire seraph, but they don't have to be," Zaveid explained. "The flames of purification aren't actually a fire-based power, and any seraph can take the job if they're willing."

"So then…who is your Prime Lord?" Sahra asked.

Zaveid smirked and spread his hands. "None other than yours truly," he boasted. "No other seraph was brave enough to take the job."

"_You_?" Sahra exclaimed, raising her scarlet eyebrows at the wind seraph. "_You're_ the Prime Lord?!"

"That's me, baby!" he grinned.

She stared for a minute, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as though this was the funniest joke she'd ever heard. "Haha, good one!" she managed through her mirth, and she turned to Eizen. "No, but seriously, who's your Prime Lord?"

"Zaveid is my Prime Lord," Eizen replied, confused.

"Oh, come on!" she chortled. "Zaveid, a Prime Lord? There's no way."

"It…It's true," Sadie piped up, if hesitantly. "The Great Lord of Lords, Maotelus, entrusted Lord Zaveid with the flames of purification."

"He really did," Edna added. "Of course, Zaveid was the only volunteer, so, you know…"

"He _volunteered_?" Sahra repeated, blinking at Edna. "This guy? Really?"

"So you're one of _those_ seraphim," Zaveid chuckled, folding his arms. "Heh…Surprised you're not living it up in Elysia with the rest of 'em."

"Huh?" Eizen asked, turning to his uncle in confusion.

Zaveid gave a lopsided smile. "Let's just say I have a rep among seraphim," he informed his nephew; this was news to Edna, though she supposed she really shouldn't have been surprised. "And not a nice one."

"And you don't even care, do you?" Sahra remarked pointedly.

Grinning, Zaveid put his hands on his hips. "Nope!" he replied. "Not a bit!"

"I…see," Eizen said slowly before turning back to Sahra. "Listen, Sahra…we really need your help. Please, whatever your issue with Zaveid is, is there a chance you could set it aside? Please? Without a fire seraph, we can't stop the Lord of Calamity, and no one else is willing."

Sahra met Eizen's eyes for a long time…then finally nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "You really must be desperate, and helping people is what I do. I'll…" She grimaced, but turned to Zaveid. "I'll be your Sub Lord," she sighed distastefully.

"Much obliged," Zaveid smirked, and he extended his hand for Sahra to take. She did so resignedly, and he stepped closer to her and took her other hand, then closed his eyes, ignoring the way she recoiled at his touch. "O ye born of unquavering incandescence," he intoned, "here let our pact be forged, that my tetherless freedom may be as thy purification! Shouldst thou accept this burden, speak aloud your true name."

Sahra scowled at this; clearly, she didn't want to tell Zaveid something so personal as her true name. Mercifully, though, she didn't protest. "Vuswos Kakwa," she declared instead.

Mana swept through the air, binding Sahra to the pact, and she took her place in Eizen's chest. A moment later, she emerged again, and turned to face her new allies with a smile. "Well, this makes us comrades," she said. "I have to admit, I've always kind of wondered what it would be like to work with a Shepherd. No sense getting worked up over what a scummy Prime Lord we have, right?"

"Zaveid's not so bad once you get used to him," Eizen said. "Right, guys?"

"True enough," Edna shrugged.

"Anyway, thank you for joining us," Eizen went on. "We're glad to have you."

Their new Sub Lord turned her eyes on Sadie. "You're a Squire, right?" she asked cheerfully.

"Y-Yes," Sadie replied, bowing her head. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Sahra. I vow to do my best to be worthy of fighting at your side."

"Whoa, what's with all this formal crap?" Sahra laughed.

"She's like that," Edna informed Sahra. "You're a seraph, so she thinks she has to be formal with you; she was raised to worship us without question."

"Well, don't," Sahra told Sadie. "It's okay, really. Just call me Sahra."

Sadie closed her eyes and turned her head.

"Don't bother," Edna advised. "We've been trying to talk some sense into her the whole journey." She turned back to Eizen. "Speaking of which, now that we have who we came for, can we get out of here? We need to head for the Fire Trial, and I'm tired of the cold."

Without waiting for a response, Edna retreated to rest within her baby brother. Zaveid followed suit, and then Sahra did too; after sharing this vessel with only Zaveid for so long, it was weird to suddenly have a new presence joining them, burning just below Eizen's sternum.

_So this is what it's like to have a vessel,_ Sahra remarked. _Huh…Neat. I could get used to this._

_Please do,_ Edna commented as Eizen finally started walking for the border between Zaphgott Moor and the frozen north. _You'll probably be with us for a while. And-_

Before she could say anything more, a small pack of wolf hellions assaulted them. Zaveid, Edna, and Sahra all emerged, and Sahra drew her weapons, which Edna had only glimpsed briefly: a pair of short swords crossed over the small of her back, the kind that would be wind-based instead of fire-based due to their small size and the swiftness of movement they required, appropriate for a fire seraph. Twirling her daggers, the fire seraph took a stance that Edna was so familiar with, it didn't occur to her to think it was weird. Eizen, however, did notice, and stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw Sahra charge into battle. Edna noticed her baby brother hesitate, and one glance at his shocked face made her do a double-take at the fire seraph dancing with her blades in that unmistakeable way. Zaveid was the next to notice his family holding back, and one look between Eizen and Edna and Sahra sent him into a similar state of shock. With only Sahra fighting alongside her, Sadie turned to her other allies and blinked, puzzled by the looks on their faces.

Luckily, Sahra was more than powerful enough to take all the hellions down on her own. When the wolves had been purified and fled from the flaming daggers, she twirled and sheathed them in one swift motion, then turned back to her new comrades, only to discover everyone staring at her with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Sahra," Eizen breathed, "where did you learn that technique?"

"Huh?" The fire seraph blinked.

"Your fighting style," Eizen pressed, taking a step forward. "Where did you learn it?"

"Oh. That's, uh…" She brushed her braid over her left shoulder and fiddled with it uncomfortably. "That's kind of complicated…"

"We have time," Eizen insisted. "Please, please tell me, how is it that you know the Rangetsu style?"

At this, Sahra gasped and flinched away from her Shepherd. "How do _you_ know it's called the Rangetsu style?" she asked.

"Don't answer a question with another question, babe," Zaveid piped up, his tone stern. "And we asked you first."

Sahra looked between everyone, then sighed. "Okay then," she relented. "Well, you see, I've been a fire seraph for centuries, but a long time ago, I actually used to be a human. I'm not the same person I was back then, and I don't remember everything, but one thing I didn't lose when I was reborn was the teachings of my master, the last great swordsman of his kind…a man named Rokurou Rangetsu."

It was Eizen's turn to gasp and recoil, and Edna and Zaveid did the same.

"In my human life, I devoted myself entirely to his teachings, to the way of the sword," she went on. "My whole life was dedicated to him, and even reborn as someone new, that could never be taken from me."

"The way…of the sword," Eizen repeated breathlessly.

"Yes," Sahra nodded. "Rejoice when your blade finds its mark. Seethe-"

"Seethe when it doesn't," Eizen picked up. "Die when one finds you. That's all there is to it."

The reborn seraph blinked in shock.

"The way of the sword is a simple one," Eizen went on, reciting some of his uncle Shigure's last words, his eyes distant. "That's what makes it so much fun."

"Y…Yes, that's right," Sahra confirmed, tilting her head in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"I know because…" Eizen trailed off, hesitant. He looked down at his left hand, at the symbol embroidered on the back of the black fingerless glove in striking crimson: his parents' colors. Edna remembered, again, how he had vowed never to lose sight of where he had come from, and he'd always readily told anyone the story of his family after he'd learned it, including those who looked down on him and called him hellion-spawn…but for some reason, it seemed like he was suddenly having a hard time telling the truth to a seraph who appeared to think fondly of his father.

"I…" Eizen turned back to his fire seraph. "I know, because Rokurou Rangetsu…your master…is my father."

"What?" Sahra blinked, then shook her head, smiling. "No, you must be mistaken," she told Eizen; "Master Rokurou died long before I was even reborn, and that was centuries ago."

Edna winced. _That's right, he faked his death,_ she remembered._ This isn't gonna end well…_

"He didn't die," Eizen stated. "He…he faked his death, so his students wouldn't suspect the truth about him: that he was a hellion."

"Wh-?"

"He embraced his malevolence long before he started taking on students," Eizen went on, almost tripping over the words now, "even before the Rangetsu clan fell apart, and it kept him alive, but he knew that if he didn't do something, everyone he was teaching the ways of our ancestors to would suspect something was wrong. He couldn't let the Rangetsu style be remembered as the techniques of a monster - as the last living member of House Rangetsu at the time, it was up to him to ensure his family would be remembered with honor. So, he faked his death, let everyone think he had died an honorable death in battle, and went into hiding."

"You're wrong!" Sahra exclaimed. "Master Rokurou wouldn't abandon us like that! And…And I was the one who identified his body! I would know his clothes anywhere, that mop of messy black hair-"

"He swapped clothes with someone in the fight who looked a little bit like him," Eizen explained, his tone gentling, "and he shaved his head and stuck his hair on the corpse. He had to make sure you thought he was dead. It…was all he could do. But he's alive, Sahra, and about eighteen years ago, he was purified and blessed by Maotelus to have a human body, so he could live a human life as though his centuries as a hellion never happened…him and my mother."

"No…" Sahra shook her head again, almost manically. "No, no, there must be a mistake…you can't be thinking of my master…"

"Didn't you think it was weird that he never seemed to age?" Edna asked pointedly.

The fire seraph gasped. "Didn't…age?" she breathed, her bright green eyes going distant. "He didn't…Yes, I remember that, he…"

"That's why," Edna said.

Tears welled in Sahra's eyes; she looked truly upset, and Edna was confused.

"What's the matter, babe?" Zaveid asked, echoing Edna's sentiment. "If you were so devoted to him, anyone'd think you'd be happy to know he's still alive."

Sahra bowed her head. "I…I gave everything for him," she said, her voice soft and choked. "Every waking moment of my human life was dedicated to my master. I subjected myself to his strict teachings, I left my family's raddishbell farm in the care of my worthless brother…Master Rokurou said he could see the spark of a true swordswoman in me, and I looked up to him, idolized him…he was more of a father to me than my own father. I wanted…to be a master of the Rangetsu style, just like him, greatsword and short swords alike, I _lived_ his ways every day. Then…then he died, and I…I was left with nothing but memories." She shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "I was so devastated. Master Rokurou was the finest swordsman on the continent, no one could ever hope to match him in a fair fight; and he died to some nobody in some petty skirmish, from an underhanded blow to the back of the head? It was an outrage."

"Sahra," Eizen said softly.

Her fists clenched. "I didn't want anything like that to ever happen again," she went on, her voice rising, if no less pained. "So, I started searching everywhere for people like me, people who had that innate spark, that passion that would make them worthy of the Rangetsu style, and I taught them all, hoping to build an army beholden to no nation, one that would be able to end any battle before it even began, so no other great warrior would fall meaninglessly in the chaos of war. From the moment I confirmed Master Rokurou's death, I devoted myself to honoring his memory, and making sure others would do so, too. Even after I died, and was reborn as a fire seraph from the lifespring in the far northern reaches of the continent, I sought out my guild, the Windriders, and watched over them from afar."

"Hold on!" Edna spoke up, aghast. "_You_ founded the Windriders?!"

"Yes," Sahra replied, lifting her head. "It was my tribute to Master Rokurou, to forever honor his legacy, and ensure no one else would die like him."

"Um…Lady Sahra," Sadie spoke up timidly. "I'm not sure if you know, but…the Windriders' guild…"

"Is no more," Sahra finished, her eyes sparking. "Yes, I'm well aware that they were disbanded…and worse, that they then reformed as a group of _assassins_." She spat the word like a curse. "I knew my master would have abhorred his ways being used for such underhanded aims - the heirs to his ancestors' techniques, a bunch of backstabbing murderers for hire?! It was a disgrace! The Rangetsu style is meant for those who fight with honor, not thugs who stab their opponents in the back without letting them put up a fight!"

"But the Scattered Bones do have honor-" Sadie began.

"I was so ashamed!" Sahra went on, and the tears were starting to track down her face. "Oh, how furious my master must have been, or so I thought! I thought I felt his eyes on me every day, I thought I would never live down what my tribute to him had turned into! As soon as the Scattered Bones formed from the remnants of what I had tried so hard to build, I exiled myself here, to the frozen north, committed to using my fire powers to save lives, in hopes it might atone for all the dishonorable death my efforts would cause. I gave up all desires of the flesh - food, sleep, companionship! Every single night, whenever I took a rest to gaze at the stars and wonder about this world's mysteries, I always spared a moment to pray to my deceased master, a prayer that his soul might find it within himself to forgive me! I gave everything for him - in both my human life and my new life as a seraph, everything I've ever done, every moment of my existence, all of it was to honor his memory, his legacy! And now you're telling me…?!" She stepped forward and shrieked. "_You're telling me he was never dead_?!"

"Sahra…I'm sorry," Eizen said timidly. "My dad, he…he only did what he thought was right, the best way he knew to honor our bloodline."

"You're telling me he's alive?!" Sahra shouted. "You're telling me he…he…_HE ABANDONED ME_?!"

"Lady Sahra, please calm down!" Sadie exclaimed, stepping forward. "With such rage, you might start to generate malevolence!"

"Nah, we don't need to worry about that," Zaveid informed Sadie. "She has Eizen as a pure vessel, it would take a lot more than this amount of righteous anger to make her turn. That said…there are a few things we _do_ need to worry about."

"Like what'll happen when we have to fight him in our quest to stop Niko," Edna agreed.

"Fight…?" Sahra blinked and turned to Edna.

"Sahra…the Lord of Calamity is…well, she's my sister," Eizen told the distraught fire seraph. "And when she became the Lord of Calamity, she corrupted my father. We're going to have to face him and purify him, as part of our journey together."

"Fight him…" Sahra whispered, and her expression hardened dangerously. "I always dreamed…that maybe one day, I would best him in a fight…"

"Well, now you'll get that chance," Zaveid shrugged, cracking an easygoing grin. "That's something to be happy about, right?"

"He let me think I was dead," Sahra went on distantly, as though she hadn't heard her Prime Lord. "He tricked me, so I would think he was dead. It wasn't true when he made me believe it…" Alarmingly, her expression hardened, and she growled, "And now, I can make it true."

"Wait, Sahra, calm down!" Eizen exclaimed. "We're not going to kill my father, we're just going to purify him so he can go home! Listen…" The Shepherd stepped forward and put a hand on his Sub Lord's arm. Sahra jerked in surprise and looked up to meet his golden gaze. "When my father was a hellion, he lacked most of his human emotions," Eizen explained to her. "He was a yaksha, a spirit of war; bloodlust and honor were the only things that mattered to him. He wouldn't have been capable of considering how his students would feel about him being dead, or how they'd react, all he could think about was making sure the Rangetsu name wouldn't be tarnished. But that's…that's not really my father. My father is so much more than that. Had he been human, the human who is my father, he would have thought twice about tricking you. Please, Sahra…malevolence twisted him into something he's not, and now it's done so again. But my father is a good man who wouldn't have just left you like that, I swear."

Another tear leaked out of Sahra's eye; she didn't respond.

"Listen, babe," Zaveid sighed at last, "the story of our Shepherd's family is a long and complicated one. How about we all head south, and on the way, Edna and I will explain everything to you. Hell, you'd have a right to know even if you didn't have some old ties to Rokurou."

"Agreed," Edna spoke up. "Now that you're part of this mess, you should understand why it's happening. Let's talk while we get out of all this ice."

A long, heavy minute passed; the only sound was the chill winds of the north whipping around them. At last, Sahra nodded.

"Okay," she conceded. "I'll hear what you have to say."

And she retreated to rest within her new vessel, her Prime Lord and fellow Sub Lord following suit.

~o~

The trek back to Zaphgott Moor was uneventful after that; between battles against hellions, Edna and Zaveid had a private conversation with Sahra explaining everything that had led to the Rangetsu-Crowe family, shielded from the humans they travelled with. Edna had to fill in the parts Zaveid's oath kept him from saying - anything to do with Maotelus, or the malak who would become Maotelus - so she ended up telling most of the parts that involved Rokurou and Velvet, with Zaveid filling in anecdotes about the world as a whole in past Ages, things Edna had been too isolated to know firsthand. Sahra seemed too upset to even scoff at Zaveid, despite her expressed disgust towards him; in fact, she hardly said anything, only occasionally asking simple questions. Mostly, she just listened, confused emotions emanating from her spot in Eizen's chest.

Not long after nightfall, they made it back to the barrier between the north and the south, and Zaveid emerged to open the door so they could pile back onto the sandy moors with relief. Even after sunset, it was so much warmer here than it was in the frozen north, and all three seraphim emerged to feel the after-heat.

"It's so warm here," Sahra said wonderingly, spreading her arms. "I haven't been south of the border in over five hundred years, I forgot what it was like to not have to use my inner fire to resist the cold."

"Let's get to Lohgrin, since it's not too far," Eizen suggested. "We can eat and rest before we head for the Great Camelot Bridge tomorrow."

"You guys can eat and rest," Sahra shrugged as they started trekking through the sand. "I don't do that."

"Don't…what?" Eizen asked.

"I haven't eaten or slept since I went north," Sahra said cheerfully. "Seraphim don't need to do either, after all, so why should I? Better to keep all my attention on watching over the frozen wastes for lost travelers…or you guys, now that I'm your Sub Lord."

Edna glanced at Sadie, and sure enough, the girl's brown eyes were wide as she stared at the seraph who actually didn't bother with trappings of the flesh, despite having been human once.

"Well…the rest of us need it," Eizen said slowly. "Or, at least, Sadie and I do, and-"

"Yeah, no, I get it! It's no problem," Sahra assured him, cutting him off with a wave of her hand. She returned to rest within her vessel, and Edna and Zaveid followed; shielding her words from the humans, Sahra asked, _Where were we?_

_The return of_ _Maotelus,_ Edna answered, and the story picked up again.

By the time they reached Lohgrin, the story was almost told, with only the rise of the current Lord of Calamity left to explain, and Eizen and Sadie were able to assist with that much as they finished the tale over a meal of sautéed cactus - the only food the citizens of Lohgrin could spare.

"I see," Sahra sighed, her place at the table clear, as she'd requested. "I…I guess I could have known a lot more of that, if I hadn't been up north all this time, away from everyone…"

"Doing good deeds," Zaveid pointed out with a flirty smile. "I'm sure everyone you rescued as the Fire Angel is glad."

Sahra gave him a look, then sighed. "Yeah," she agreed, "I guess."

"Are you going to be okay, Sahra?" Eizen asked.

"I'm fine!" she assured him, her face splitting into a smile. "I just have to sort it all out, but I'll be fine by tomorrow. Hey, you guys get some sleep, and I'll relieve whoever's on guard duty so they can sleep too, okay?"

"You'll have to talk to Alken about that," Zaveid told Sahra.

"Okay, I'll do that now," the fire seraph said brightly, and she stood and trotted away to find the Lord of the Land.

"Well…she's interesting," Edna remarked dully. "Kind of reminds me of Rokurou, actually…"

"Yeah." Of all people, it was Zaveid who frowned slightly. "Not so sure what her ties to him are gonna mean when we have to eventually fight him…He did what he thought was right, but it left wounds that still hurt even after her rebirth." He shook his head, and Edna knew what he was going to say before he said it: "Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes…"

"No point wishing about things we can't change," Edna pointed out. "Let's just focus on what we can do."

Zaveid laughed, recognizing his own words. "Damn straight," he conceded, and he stood up and stretched. "Let's get to the inn. They don't have beds here, but they have some space in their tents; sleeping bags and our vessel should do the job well enough."

"Tomorrow, we head straight for the Igraine Shrine," Edna stated, setting aside her plate, and she and Zaveid came to rest within Eizen as both humans made for the makeshift inn of the village in the ruins.

o~X~o

Sadie tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, unable to keep her eyes closed. In truth, she hadn't slept well the previous two nights, either, not even when she'd gotten a proper bed in Meirchio after their long, hard trek north, though she'd pretended to for Lady Edna's sake. Golden eyes flashed behind her eyelids every time she tried to relax, eyes that gazed at her with adoration and respect…the way Eizen had looked at her when she'd talked Ivy down haunted her. And now there was something else to keep her awake, too - Lady Sahra was what she'd always imagined a seraph to be like, never eating or sleeping, always helping humans; and yet she herself had been human once, unlike Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna, who acted far more human.

After what felt like hours, Sadie sighed resignedly and sat up, wriggling her way out of her sleeping bag as quietly as she could so as not to disturb anyone. Luckily, she had her own section of the tent, as Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna were resting within their vessel for the night. Brushing out her curls with her fingers, she grabbed her battleax and pulled on her boots, but left the rest of her armor behind as she crept outside.

The moon was bright and full overhead, almost drowning out the twinkling stars in the clear desert sky. Sadie looked around, and saw people huddled together under blankets, most of them asleep but some of them clearly not. Tiptoeing around the fearful citizens of Lohgrin, Sadie cautiously made her way to the gates and pushed them open slowly, careful not to make a sound.

Outside, a light to the right of the stairs told Sadie immediately where Lady Sahra was standing guard. She headed in the indicated direction, and soon saw Lady Sahra sitting on a rock, flames dancing between her fingers and illuminating her face. As soon as Sadie set one foot in the sand, the fire seraph turned around, hands going to the knives she kept crossed over the small of her back.

"Oh, Sadie, it's you," Lady Sahra said, relaxing almost immediately. "Can't sleep?"

"No, Lady Sahra," Sadie answered honestly. "May I…join you?"

"Of course!" Lady Sahra said cheerfully, beckoning her over. "I haven't had company in centuries."

"Centuries," Sadie repeated, kneeling down in the sand beside Lady Sahra's perch. "You've been alone all this time, just…just helping whomever you could?"

"Uh-huh," Lady Sahra replied, casually conjuring a little fireball in her hand and tossing it up and down, her eyes on the moving flames.

"May I ask…why?" Sadie asked, and immediately felt stupid. "I mean, not all seraphim choose to be so devoted to the people," she explained hurriedly; "I always thought they were, but Lord Zaveid and Lady Edna…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain what she thought of the two seraphim she'd traveled with without coming across as insulting.

But Lady Sahra laughed, as though she understood exactly what Sadie was getting at. "Hey, seraphim are people too," she said, and Sadie winced internally. "We don't have to help people. I just…wanted to repent, for my part in founding the Scattered Bones."

"The Scattered Bones were founded on honor and integrity," Sadie recalled out loud. "Aside from a few rogues in the group acting against orders, they're said to have turned down contracts as often as they accepted them, thanks to the eyes they had in every settlement on the continent."

"Doesn't matter if they dressed it up with all kinds of fancy words and ideals," Lady Sahra grumbled; "at the end of the day, they're still murderers." She sighed again, heavily this time. "When I was reborn as a seraph…I remembered who I had been, I remembered my human life, but all my memories felt - and still feel - like they belong to someone else. I see things so differently now…but even so, I still feel that sense of honor Master Rokurou taught me. It's still part of me."

"What our parents - or, or parent figures, I guess - teach us is ingrained into who we are," Sadie said softly. "They shape us, teach us who to be…"

"You sound sad," Sahra remarked, tilting her head. "Is something your parents taught you bothering you?"

Sadie closed her eyes. "Not…really," she said. "I mean, it's more…well…" She shifted in the sand, glancing up at the fire seraph again. _Confess to the seraphim,_ she thought, hearing her mother's voice. "It's more…I guess…" She shook her head, trying to puzzle out what she wanted to say without talking about Eizen. "I guess I can't stop thinking about Sorey and Lord Mikleo."

"Sorey and Mikleo?" Sahra repeated thoughtfully. "Edna and Zaveid told me about them…a Shepherd and a Sub Lord - the Shepherd who saved Maotelus. And…they were together, right? A couple?"

"Yes," Sadie agreed, and she couldn't entirely keep a wistful sigh out of her voice. "It was beautiful, what they had. As a little girl, I always dreamed of meeting and loving a man who would look at me the way they looked at each other."

"And did you find one?"

The question cut straight to the heart of the matter, as though Sahra understood exactly what the problem was, and Sadie winced. Again, she saw those golden eyes gazing at her. _Hellion-spawn eyes,_ she reminded herself adamantly. "No," she answered, "I gave up on that dream years ago when I was introduced to my fiancé. My parents never look at each other that way either; I can only assume that love between a man and a woman cannot be as pure and true as love between two men."

"That's a bunch of crap," Lady Sahra stated. "Of course men and women can love each other like that. I'm sorry your parents don't, that's really sad…but wait, you have a fiancé? Why are you marrying him?"

"Sir Leybon is of royal blood," Sadie stated, "fiftieth in line for the throne. Our union will bring great honor to my family."

"Fiftieth?" Lady Sahra laughed. "Who cares about fiftieth?"

"He is of royal blood," Sadie repeated. "My parents worked long and hard to arrange such auspicious prospects for me, and I am honored to be his betrothed."

"So you're in an arranged marriage?" Lady Sahra questioned.

"Y-Yes," Sadie stammered, blushing, "but please, don't get the wrong idea. I am entirely willing to marry him, so it doesn't violate the law."

"Law?" Sahra asked, blinking in surprise.

"In Hyland…there's a law against arranged marriages," Sadie explained, flushing slightly, though of course she couldn't withhold the truth from a holy seraph. "It was set in place by Rose, the Prime Squire of legend…but, since I'm agreeing to it, my union with Sir Leybon doesn't fall under that law."

"Rose," Sahra repeated softly, her normally-cheerfully expression darkening. "Zaveid and Edna told me about her…she's the one who desecrated Master Rokurou's teachings to turn the Windriders into the Scattered Bones."

"Yes," Sadie nodded, slightly nervous by the change in the fire seraph's demeanor.

"I didn't hear anything about her being a politician."

"Well, she wasn't," Sadie explained. "Her close ally, Princess Alisha, the Light of Hyland, was the politician. But Rose went to a lot of effort to enact a law against arranged marriages; it's the only political action she ever took, at least as far as historians know."

"After all she did, all she was, she went out of her way to put a law like that in place?" Sahra asked, tilting her head. "But…only someone who truly cares about what's right would work so hard to outlaw arranged marriages."

"What's right?" Sadie repeated, surprised.

"Of course," Sahra shrugged. "Arranged marriages rarely end well - most of the time, one of the people involved treats the other like…property, a thing, not a person to be respected and loved. Love doesn't happen in arranged marriages very often." The seraph's gaze turned on Sadie once more, sharp and probing, and her bright green irises suddenly seemed to catch the moonlight in just such a way that they almost glowed for a moment. "Tell me something, Sadie," she said: "How does Sir Leybon treat you?"

Again, Sadie found herself unprepared for the incredibly direct question, and the response she wanted to give - that Sir Leybon was a gentleman and treated her well - caught on her tongue as Lady Sahra's flashing gaze pierced her. "He treats me…like an object," she heard herself confess instead, shocked at the words coming out of her mouth, though they were true. "A possession. A decoration. He hates that I've been trained in combat, says it's unladylike for a woman to fight and that he doesn't want a wife with callouses and battle scars." Shaking her head, Sadie desperately tried to regain her sense of duty, the commitment she had to her betrothed. "He…is most likely furious to know I became a Squire and chose to take this journey; I can only hope my parents have convinced him not to call the wedding off."

"Why would you hope that?" Lady Sahra asked. "Come on, Sadie, he sounds like he'd treat you like trash, like he already does; you deserve better than a jerk like him."

"Our union will bring great honor to my family," Sadie recited. For a moment, she considered telling the whole truth, the story of her family's disgrace that the marriage was meant to rectify, but the shame of what had happened to her sister burned her throat before she could get the words out.

"That's not a good reason to marry someone," Lady Sahra stated. "You should find a guy who…well, who looks at you like you said Sorey and Mikleo looked at each other. Someone who respects you and believes in you, someone who loves you."

Again, the image of Eizen's golden eyes flashed behind Sadie's eyelids as she blinked. Though she tried to fight it down, Lady Sahra's eyes seemed to glow once more, and she found herself speaking without meaning to. "Maybe I have," she said, "but I don't want him."

"Who?"

"_Eizen_." Sadie ground out the name with as much contempt as she could muster - which, appallingly, wasn't nearly as much as she had once had. "He's hellion-spawn, his parents are ancient monsters - someone like him can't possibly know love."

"Then why are you thinking of him?" Lady Sahra smirked. Were her eyes actually flashing with light?

Sadie fidgeted, but again found that she was unable to lie to herself in the presence of this bright-eyed fire seraph. "We rescued a girl a couple of days ago," she explained; "she was corrupted by the Lord of Calamity, and I talked her down. When I did, Eizen…" She shook her head. "He looked at me like…like he admired me. Like he wanted to know everything about me and would respect whatever he learned. And I…I can't stop thinking about it." Her fists clenched. "But he's _hellion-spawn_! His blood is tainted and corrupt, his family are wretches! The Lord of Calamity is his sister! I could never stoop so low as to associate with a family like his!"

"From what Zaveid explained to me during our walk down here today, that's not really fair," Lady Sahra remarked. "But even if it was…what does it matter what kind of family he comes from? He seems like a good guy to me, regardless of what his parents and sister might be like. Family isn't everything, you know - or at least, blood family isn't everything. I mean, look at me," she shrugged. "As a human, I had a family, yet I thought of Master Rokurou as family even more so than them. And seraphim don't really have family, not blood family, but it sounds like Edna and Zaveid are part of the family you keep calling corrupt. We all forge our own paths in life, Sadie; none of us are defined by who we have blood ties to. And while I don't rely on instinct now as much as I did in my human life, my gut says Eizen is a good guy. I mean, he did become the Shepherd."

"He cheated," Sadie stated. "Apparently, some long-dead souls helped him draw the Sacred Blade, according to his own account, and that of the Lord of the Land in Pendrago."

"Really?" Lady Sahra asked, and she fiddled with her braid. "Huh…Well, I mean, if there are dead souls who came back to the living world just to help him, they must have had reasons to believe in him. Maybe that's more a testament to how worthy he is to be the Shepherd, not a matter of him cheating. It's not like he _asked_ for the help, did he?"

"No," Sadie admitted. "But…but my parents always taught me-"

"Your parents don't know everything," Lady Sahra told her; "no one does. Trust me, I _wish_ I knew everything." Her head tilted back, her eyes going to the heavens above them. "I've been patrolling the frozen north for centuries," she said, her tone taking on a wistful air, "but sometimes I sit down to rest for a little while. Whenever I do, I look up at the stars and I think, they've been watching this world since the beginning, they've seen everything we petty mortals have done throughout all the Ages…and even they might not have the answers to all of life's questions. Sometimes I wish I could talk to them, and ask them what they know. What are seraphim? What are humans? Why are some humans reborn as seraphim? Why can any human be purified if they're willing, but dragons don't have that choice? Why is malevolence a curse on this world?"

"The curse of malevolence is a known story, though," Sadie said.

"Huh?"

Quickly, Sadie went over the story the Great Lord Maotelus had shared with the world after the dawn of the Age of Calamity made him visible to all, of the schism between the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm and those who descended to earth. Lady Sahra listened attentively, but she frowned and toyed with her braid when Sadie was done.

"But…according to that story, malevolence has been around for a long time, since even before that happened," she mused. "It didn't make things mutate into monsters before the curse was cast, but it still existed, enough to poison seraphim and make them sick…and even die, you said? I mean, I guess that explains why seraphim can't be purified once they turn into dragons, if they'd be dead at that point if not for the curse…but it doesn't explain where seraphim come from, what we are, or why humans can turn into seraphim when they're the source of all the malevolence that poisons seraphim in the first place." She shook her head. "I've been trying to puzzle it out for a long time, but I don't think anyone really knows why this world works the way it does. Even having gone through the process of being reborn, I don't know anything about why or how it happened."

"Do you remember being reborn?" Sadie asked, suddenly curious.

"Sort of," Lady Sahra replied. "I hear that humans reborn as seraphim aren't supposed to keep their memories, but there are some things I remember. I remember my parents' raddishbell farm in Stonebury, my useless older brother who couldn't tell a chicken from a swan, my parents' hopes for the future of the farm riding on me, and…abandoning them all, to dedicate myself entirely to Master Rokurou's teachings, because he alone saw the spark in me, the spark that made me feel like I wasn't meant to be a farmer. I remember his death the most vividly, or…" She scowled. "I remember being made to _believe_ he was dead the most vividly, and I remember flashes of the rest of my life, assembling the Windriders' guild, an army beholden to no one but ourselves. I'm pretty sure I died peacefully, I don't remember an ending of pain…but as soon as I died, _then_ I felt pain, burning, white-hot pain, like I was on fire - I thought I was in hell. I was surrounded by some sort of thick, gooey liquid that was burning me alive, and I swam to the surface, only to emerge and realize I'd just pulled myself out of a pool of lava. Later, I realized I was in Mt. Killaraus, but…things were hazy for me. I still remembered these few things, but they didn't really feel like _my memories_ anymore. As a human, I lived on instinct, more than reason, as Master Rokurou taught me, but after emerging from the volcano, I couldn't stop asking questions I'd never thought of before - couldn't stop seeking answers, _wanting_ answers, in ways the human whose memories I'd inherited never had. I was confused, and I wandered around for a while in the frozen wastelands, trying to figure out what had happened, trying to understand what was in my head. Then I ran into someone else who was stumbling around in the cold - they looked like they were delirious, in danger of passing out and freezing to death, and I wanted to help them. I wished I could give them some of the warmth that I felt, and the next thing I knew, I was conjuring flames. The guy couldn't see me, but he could see my fire, and that was when I understood: I was a fire seraph now. In that moment, I realized my true name - I guess that's just a thing that happens when a seraph comes of age: Vuswos Kakwa, Sahra of Inner Truth. Once I understood what I was, I headed south, to watch over the Windriders I'd left behind, and see if I could learn more about…"

During this long reminiscence, Sadie's eyelids had grown heavy, though she fought to stay alert. As soon as Lady Sahra glanced over at her, the fire seraph cut off her words and laughed.

"Sorry," Lady Sahra said, "I didn't mean to put you to sleep."

"No, no," Sadie tried to insist, "please, Lady Sahra, I…" A yawn cut her off.

"Go to bed," Lady Sahra chuckled. "We have a long journey ahead of us if we're going all the way to the Igraine Shrine, and we want to get there as fast as we can. You're human, and humans need sleep, I know that much."

"Thank you, Lady Sahra," Sadie said, pushing herself to unsteady feet.

"No, thank _you_!" Lady Sahra told her brightly. "It's nice to talk to someone other than myself for a change. And hey, if you ever want to talk again, I never sleep. Feel free to bother me whenever you like, okay?"

"Thank you," Sadie repeated, bowing. "You honor me."

"Aw, quit with the formal crap," Lady Sahra laughed, but unlike Lady Edna, she didn't press the issue. "Good night. Sleep well."

"Good night, Lady Sahra," Sadie told the fire seraph, and she turned and left under the watchful gaze of the stars.

Back in her sleeping bag, though she felt herself quickly drifting off to sleep, Sadie also found herself even more confused than before. Golden eyes haunted her pre-dreams. She had hated those eyes growing up, how he always stared at her with longing and desire…or at least, she had _told_ herself she hated those looks, after she'd informed her parents of the situation and they'd both thrown a fit to know that the son of the ancient monsters was after their daughter. But had she really hated the attention? And now, he looked at her differently, as if he didn't just want her but wanted to _understand_ her. All throughout the journey, it had been the seraphim who had been sharp with her, but he'd always jumped to her defense, always thinking of what would make her comfortable, of what she might want. No one had ever treated her like that before, like she could just be herself and didn't have to change who she was.

_As Lord Zaveid would say, it's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes,_ she thought as she surrendered to sleep at last. _Why is the only person who's ever believed in me the one guy my age I have no choice but to hate for being hellion-spawn?_

* * *

**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of fire behind two crossed daggers] "Flames on the Wind" - Proof that you've joined forces with a new ally, one who happens to hold strong ties to your family from long ago. But will her past life prove to be a blessing, or a curse?**


	15. Flames of War

With Sahra's fiery presence burning just below his sternum, Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe was glad to begin the journey back southeast towards the Igraine Shrine, where he would finally continue to work towards attaining the power he needed to stop Niko.

Sahra quickly proved to be a breath of fresh air to their somber party, always smiling and cheerful and starting conversations whenever things got too quiet. She was more…thoughtful, than anyone Eizen had ever known, always thinking of questions and suggesting answers, but she didn't brood unless the subject of Eizen's father came up, which they all quickly learned to avoid. What Eizen appreciated most, though, was that she and Sadie seemed to get along well, the Squire seeming to relax more and more with each passing day they shared in the fire seraph's company. Sometimes he'd catch Sadie smiling, or hear the sound of her and Sahra laughing together at night during the conversations they always held after everyone else had gone to bed - the two were already friends, and Eizen was happy for his Squire.

Still, she was a seraph, an old one, and it showed in several ways. Her revelation about why dragons couldn't be saved came as a shock to both Zaveid and Edna, though Eizen thought it made perfect sense; still, the fact that she'd only just learned about the curse from the Heavenly Realm served as a reminder that Sahra was from Ages long gone, and it was unsettling the way this didn't seem strange to Edna or Zaveid at all, a reminder that they too had been around since long before the dawn of the Age of Calamity Eizen's parents had brought about. It would have felt uncomfortable for Eizen to be reminded of his seraph allies' extensive pasts, that he had only been around for a short blip in their lifespans, if not for the fact that it proved impossible to be uncomfortable around Sahra. Any time he started to feel awkward or out of place, Sahra would just smile at him, her brilliant green eyes flashing, and he'd relax; it wasn't his fault that he was human and would never live as long as they would, he was what he was.

Wherever they went, there were still hellions, as always; they quelled whatever they found, and Eizen took care to armatize with Sahra whenever Sadie didn't claim her first. Even without the spiritual power of fire, uniting with Sahra's blazing essence just felt more right than Zaveid or even Edna did, because she also was practiced in the Rangetsu style, so their movements were coordinated in battle and she didn't have to just be a passenger when they armatized. In addition, the weapon of the fire armatus was a massive sword, bigger than even his father's swords but still a weapon he was more familiar and comfortable with using; having to two-hand the weapon was new, but with Sahra's strength augmenting his own, he found himself using the Rangetsu style with it naturally.

The journey back across the Great Camelot Bridge was uneventful, and they stopped briefly in Pendrago for a night; they didn't deviate far enough to meet up with Morgrim, as she'd requested. Then, finally, they passed the Pearloats Pasture into the Meadow of Triumph, and the seraphim had to start directing Eizen on how to get to the Igraine Shrine.

_Head south, and look for a pass in the mountains,_ Edna instructed. _That'll open up into Biroclef Ridge, and Gododdin is just beyond that. The Igraine Shrine is right next to the village._

"Hard to believe a village would be stationed right next to a shrine to one of the Great Lords," Eizen remarked.

_Humans set up a settlement there so they could mine vermillion ore,_ Zaveid explained; _it's the spot where the stuff is most abundant in the whole world._

"Why is that, Lord Zaveid?" Sadie inquired.

_Vermillion ore is created from powerful fire-based seraphic artes,_ the Prime Lord replied; _Lord Musiphe's power is strong enough to make it in abundance._

_I wonder if I'd be able to make any, _Sahra mused.

_Hard to say,_ Edna replied. _But you are pretty powerful, more so than Lailah was, even though you're younger than she was. Maybe it'd be worth trying, once all this is over._

_I'll pass,_ Sahra decided. _But thanks for the compliment, Edna!_

Eizen was just as surprised as Sahra; Edna didn't hand compliments out often. To bring that up felt like it would ruin the point, though, so he didn't interject, focusing instead on the many hellions that barred their path down to Biroclef Ridge. The creatures around here were much weaker than those across the Great Camelot Bridge had been, and Eizen briefly wondered what determined a hellion's strength before setting the question aside to be pondered later.

_I'm surprised there are so many hellions,_ Sahra eventually remarked as they neared the southern border of the meadow. _There were about this many around when I exiled myself, but you said Heldalf had been spreading malevolence for years by then. And Niko has only been the Lord of Calamity for about a month and a half?_

_That's right,_ Edna confirmed; _she's a lot stronger than Heldalf was, though, and the number of hellions we're finding is just one of several things proving that point._

"That's why we needed you, Sahra," Eizen added; "Niko's power has all the other fire seraphim too afraid to fight her, at least head-on."

_That's kinda backwards,_ Sahra remarked; _we're lucky we have a Shepherd heading her off so soon after she turned into a hellion, rather than several years down the line - they should want to nip the problem in the bud before it gets any worse._

_They don't think they can,_ Edna said wistfully, and Eizen knew she was thinking of Isan. _They think they're too weak to be of any help to us. And maybe they are._

_But not you, baby!_ Zaveid added. _You're the best help we could get. I'm glad we found ya._

_Me too,_ Sahra said, sighing only slightly at Zaveid's words; the sentiment behind this statement was clearly something much deeper than what Zaveid's flirty tone had implied. Eizen had noticed that she was thoroughly unimpressed with his uncle's attitude, but she had yet to make a fuss about it, so he didn't comment.

At the southern corner of the vast plains, Eizen found the pass Edna had mentioned, but what looked like a recent rockslide blocked their path. _Remember to use my power to remove any earth-based blockades,_ Edna reminded him as they approached.

"I know," Eizen said calmly, and he called on the power of his earth seraph and thrust his hands forward, the boulders obstructing their way shattering and revealing the stony terrain beyond. As soon as they crossed the threshold, though, Eizen noticed something worrisome. "You guys feel that?" he asked his seraphim as they emerged.

"Yeah," Sahra frowned. "There's no blessing here."

A distant roar sent all of them into defensive poses, but there was nothing nearby but the rocky ledges of Biroclef Ridge and the grunt hellions wandering around.

"Let's get to Gododdin," Eizen said at last; "if the Lord of the Land has been corrupted, maybe we still have time to save them."

"Here's hoping," Edna muttered, and the three seraphim returned within Eizen's chest so he could carry everyone across the occasional chasm with Silver Wind.

Biroclef Ridge was like a much less treacherous, much more manageable version of Westronbolt Gorge, with more caves than narrow rock bridges, but it was also a bit more confusing to navigate. After a couple of wrong turns and several boulders shattered by Giant's Strength, they at last climbed one final ledge up a ridge to the alcove where Gododdin had been formed…

…and were met with a horrifying sight.

Gododdin had been annihilated - the brick wall that had contained the village had been shattered, nothing remained of the buildings but rubble and charred bits of wood, and there were even some bodies lying around, most burned or dismembered or both. Zaveid, Edna, and Sahra emerged, all their expressions as shocked as Eizen and Sadie's were, staring at the devastation.

"What…what happened here?" Eizen asked softly.

Another roar sounded, this one much closer, and they looked up to see a dragon circling overhead. Just one, so it wasn't one of Niko's dragons, but…

"The Lord of the Land," Zaveid remarked. "Damn…must've turned on the village after she was corrupted."

"Who was the Lord of the Land here?" Sahra asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Eizen saw the Prime Lord turn to her, and as he did so, Eizen thought he saw the fire seraph's green eyes flash with light for a moment. Suddenly, Zaveid gasped, and Eizen turned to the wind seraph just in time to see his face drop. "Aw, hell," Zaveid muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" Eizen asked.

"Forsea," Zaveid sighed. "Damn…" He looked up at the dragon above them, then settled into a stance, mana glowing under his skin. "Hey, babe!" he shouted at the distant beast. "Remember me?!" And he shot an arte into the sky.

Wind mana struck the dragon's wing, and it roared, turning down to look at the intruders. As it swooped lower, Eizen got a better look at the dragon's eyes, and was surprised to see some sort of emotion burning in them. _But dragons don't feel emotions…_

They scattered as the beast dove into them, but instead of being confused, it turned and followed Zaveid specifically, lashing out at him with massive claws and bellowing wrathfully. Zaveid dodged, turned to face the malevolent behemoth, then froze as fire gathered in the monster's jaws.

"Uh-oh…" he said softly.

"Uncle, look out!" Eizen shouted, jumping forward and slashing the dragon with his katana in hopes of distracting it.

The dragon didn't even seem to notice, though the wound Eizen left was solid. Surprisingly, it was Sahra who darted forward and shoved Zaveid aside before tumbling out of the way herself, the fire blast from the massive lizard exploding against empty stone.

"Folks," Zaveid announced as he picked himself up, "I've got bad news and worse news."

"What's the bad news?" Eizen asked as he continued striking the dragon that didn't even acknowledge his blade.

"The bad news is, this isn't a drake," Zaveid answered, leaping to dodge a lash of the massive tail. "It's a fully-manifested dragon."

"Then what's the _worse_ news?" Sahra exclaimed from the other side of the monster.

"The worse news is that even though she's a dragon, I think she actually remembers me," Zaveid told them, desperately working to evade the increasingly furious attacks aimed at him alone. "So she's not gonna let us escape as long as I'm with y'all."

"Remembers you from-? Oh don't tell me!" Edna groaned from somewhere on the battlefield.

One massive paw caught Zaveid midair and threw him against a nearby cliff. "Yeah," he groaned, barely managing to push himself back up in time to avoid another attack, "that's right."

"I said don't tell me!" Edna snapped. "Seriously, none of us wanted to know."

"Wanted to know what?" Eizen asked, completely lost by the conversation, though he was careful to focus on the fight.

"Don't ask, baby brother," Edna advised him.

Despite the two seraphim and two humans attacking it from all sides, the dragon kept focusing all of its energy on the one wind seraph; any blows the others took seemed to be entirely accidental as the monster lunged around, assailing Zaveid with what almost could have been described as desperation, teeth and claws and tail and wings and fire all focused on destroying the Prime Lord alone. All of the remains of Gododdin were a battlefield, rubble tossed about underfoot as the dragon raged, and a small battlefield it was for such a massive beast - if not for the fact that it didn't seem to care about anyone but Zaveid, Eizen had a feeling they would have been quickly crushed. After all, it was a _dragon_. _A fully-manifested dragon,_ he thought as he swung his katana as fast as he could. _We don't have the power to fight a dragon._ Luckily, it wasn't fighting _them_ \- all four of them working together to hit it as hard as they could were slowly chipping away at its health, but still, it ignored them, throwing all of its power at Zaveid.

The targeted seraph was tiring, Eizen could tell. Whatever Zaveid had done to make the former Lord of the Land so mad at him, the dragon was relentless in its assault, and all the power of the wind couldn't help Zaveid escape. More and more blows found their mark, and Edna cast the occasional supporting arte on Zaveid in between strikes directed at the dragon, but it wasn't enough. Then, during one of Zaveid's leaping dodges, the dragon caught him in the air with its paw and pinned him to the ground, massive talons forming a cage around the wind seraph's chest as he was crushed.

Zaveid struggled helplessly, desperately, and though his allies didn't let up, Eizen knew they wouldn't be able to kill the dragon in time to stop it from unleashing the devastating fire blast it was charging in its jaws. At the last moment, as Zaveid gave up and looked certain death in the face, Eizen jumped back and raised his left hand.

"Fylk Zahdeya!"

Moments before the torrential flames annihilated him, Zaveid dissolved into light that merged with Eizen's flesh. Through the armatus, Eizen felt his uncle's wounds, but at least he was alive.

_That was too close!_ Zaveid all but sobbed. _Thanks, kiddo._

_Whatever's going on, I wouldn't let you die, uncle,_ Eizen assured him, and he popped a gel to heal their now-shared injuries, then blasted the dragon with wind artes, prepared to start dodging the assault he thought would be turned on him.

Maybe the dragon didn't understand the concept of armatization, though, because it didn't focus its fury on Eizen. Instead, it turned and roared loud enough to shake the earth, and the tide of battle turned against the five adventurers immediately as the malevolent behemoth shifted its aim to destroying the pests that wouldn't stop hitting it. The dragon struck hard, devastatingly hard, and they couldn't land any more blows without taking risks. Several of the emergency grape gels were used in quick succession, for no real gain besides keeping everyone alive; there were no openings, no opportunities to fight back, as the giant monster raged at every living thing it could reach.

_Kiddo, de-armatize with me,_ Zaveid said suddenly. _I have an idea._

_You sure?_ Eizen asked.

_I think I know what to do,_ Zaveid insisted. _Let me try something._

There weren't exactly many options, and Eizen severed the bond, allowing Zaveid to manifest on his own once more.

"Hey baby!" Zaveid called.

Instantly, the dragon turned its wrathful gaze on the wind seraph.

"You didn't get me!" he jeered. "Wanna try again?"

With an angry howl, the dragon lost all interest in the other fighters and lunged at Zaveid. Zaveid dodged, and then a shout from across the alcove where Gododdin had been caught everyone's attention.

"Over here!"

It was Zaveid. But Zaveid was still where he'd landed after dodging the dragon's latest attack. Clearly confused, the monster turned to the new source of its fury.

"Hey, check me out!"

There was a third Zaveid now.

Without warning, there were suddenly a dozen Zaveids in the ruins, and all of them joined in the fight, charging artes or whipping with pendulums. Baffled, the monster roared, then started breathing fire in all directions, trying to destroy every single Zaveid it saw; but though the ones it attacked winked out of existence the moment they were struck, more took their place. From behind, Eizen and his other allies kept assaulting the dragon with their own weapons, though Sadie's focus was clearly disrupted by what Zaveid was doing.

Most of the conjured Zaveids clustered together in places far away from any real person, leaving everyone safe to continue to fight. With all the additional fake Zaveids joining in, the dragon weakened at a much more noticeable pace, though it didn't stop trying to destroy the wind seraph it hated so much for some reason. Their strength wasn't much, but with Zaveid's constant distraction putting time on their side, eventually, Eizen leapt forward and dealt a final, killing blow, his katana burning with the flames of purification that couldn't save their already-dead target.

With one last shriek, the dragon disintegrated, white fire exploding along its body and leaving nothing behind. Just like that, the ruins of Gododdin were empty and peaceful. The illusions vanished, leaving the five of them alone, all panting for breath; Eizen turned in time to see Zaveid collapse onto his back, his chest heaving.

"What…" he gasped, "the hell…was that?" His eyes rolled back in his head, and suddenly, he went still.

"Zaveid!" Eizen exclaimed, as did several of his allies, and they all ran over to where the wind seraph lay sprawled out on the rubble-strewn ground.

Edna poked him with her umbrella. "He's passed out," she declared. "He'll come around in a couple of minutes, don't worry."

"What exactly just happened?" Sadie questioned.

"Yeah," Sahra agreed, "how were there suddenly so many of him?"

"Zaveid took an oath a few hundred years ago that lets him cast illusory artes," Eizen explained. "I've never seen him conjure illusions that could fight, though, or even that had this much physical presence…"

"I have," Edna spoke up. "He used to try it back when he first took the oath, but it never seemed to work the same way it did for Symonne, and he stopped trying before too long." She shrugged. "He used to complain about how it was too much work."

The wind seraph groaned and opened his eyes.

"Are you alright, uncle Zaveid?" Eizen asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zaveid replied, pushing himself into a sitting position, a hand going to rub his forehead. "Just haven't done that in a while…It takes a lot of energy to cast illusions that powerful, more than I can usually spare."

"You might have overdone it just now," Edna remarked tonelessly.

"No," Zaveid sighed, shaking his head, "I don't think so. Against a full-manifested dragon, you can't pull any punches. Look, can we focus on the important thing here?" he asked abruptly, forcing himself to his feet, though he seemed unsteady.

"Yeah, uncle, what did you do to make that dragon so mad at you?" Eizen asked.

Edna stabbed the Prime Lord with her umbrella before he could answer. "Just take this as a lesson, baby brother," she told him: "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"I didn't _scorn_ her!" Zaveid exclaimed indignantly. "I gave her a good time, that's all! I told her from the start I'd be gone before the sun rose, she made her choice and that's on her!"

"Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night," Edna said dully.

"I didn't lie to her!" Zaveid insisted. "I never do!"

"_Oh_!" Eizen gasped as understanding struck him like a lightning bolt. "Oh!…Oh. _Oh_." He shook his head. "Oh, uncle…"

"Ow!" Zaveid exclaimed as Edna jabbed him again. "The hell was that for?"

"For probably being the reason Eizen has any idea what's going on," Edna answered.

"Look, enough about what I did, that ain't the point here!" Zaveid snapped. "The thing that bothers me is that _she recognized me_. She was a dragon, and she recognized me. That ain't possible - you know that as well as I do, Edna."

"To be fair, you probably know better than me," Edna pointed out. She frowned and added, "But you're right, that is strange. My brother didn't recognize me after he turned."

"And I highly doubt Forsea hated me more than your brother loved you," Zaveid told her. "As far as anyone knows, dragons lose all their memories and every trace of who they used to be when they finish turning…in fact, if Sahra's right about why dragons can't be saved, they're technically already dead. So how the hell did she remember me? I mean, it's weird enough that I remember her - it's not like there was anything particularly memorable about our encounter, and it was centuries ago-"

"_Oh_!" This cry came from Sadie, and everyone turned to see her face turn bright red, as she also apparently understood the implications. Eizen wanted to comfort her, but he sensed that they were on the brink of an important revelation.

"So dragons can't remember anything, but this one did," he mused before Zaveid could go on reminiscing. "And Lailah and Mikleo…well, it's hard to tell if they remember anything, but they aren't mindless killing machines, they obey Niko's orders and don't seem to do anything unless she tells them to. If Niko can control dragons…"

"You think Niko did this?" Edna asked.

"Well, of course Niko was behind this," Zaveid shrugged, "that much is obvious, but-"

"No," Eizen stated, cutting him off.

Everyone turned to him, and he met their gazes with a grim frown.

"Look around you," he told them gravely; "Gododdin has been destroyed, and everyone who was living here is dead. That's not what Niko wants. You've all heard her, except for you, Sahra: she wants to create a world in which no one ever dies. This isn't her goal."

All was still as this sank in. The conflicting facts chased each other around in Eizen's head, and the more he thought about it, the more he understood exactly where Zaveid's concern for the situation was coming from.

"Maybe…" Sahra said slowly after a minute, toying with her braid. "Maybe…Niko was trying to create a dragon that remembered who it was, but something went wrong and she lost control?"

"Like say for example she didn't realize her test subject was harboring resentment for a certain wind seraph that had been festering for hundreds of years," Edna added.

Zaveid flinched, and Edna turned on him.

"Congratulations," the earth seraph said tonelessly; "you might be the only reason we were able to kill this dragon, but you're also probably the reason Gododdin was destroyed and everyone here is dead. Well done, you."

"Oh come on, that ain't fair," Zaveid grumbled. "On a list of bad things I've done in my life, this ranks extremely low. If things here really did go down like you're suggesting, well, then it's-"

"Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes?" Edna finished with a smirk.

"Edna," Zaveid sighed heavily, "I nearly died just now, for a relatively minor offense. Can you at least let me be the one to say it?"

"Huh?" Sahra asked, looking between them in confusion.

"'Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes' has become Zaveid's favorite catchphrase as of late," Edna told her.

"Well, I guess this qualifies," Sahra remarked, throwing Zaveid an added glare of disgust. Then she turned towards the cave in the far rock face. "Come on," she said; "whatever Niko might be up to, we can't do anything about it without the blessings of the Great Lords, and the Igraine Shrine is just in here."

But Eizen couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. "Guys, I don't like this," he told them. "What is Niko doing, and how? If she's managed to create something that should be impossible even as far as uncle Zaveid knows…" He shook his head. "I don't know, this feels bigger than just the Lord of Calamity."

"Didn't Lord Isan say that this Lord of Calamity was a pawn in a bigger game, and that the true source of her power was something ancient?" Sadie asked.

"That's right!" Eizen gasped. "Something even older than my parents! But…but what?"

"Beats me," Zaveid shrugged. "I've never heard of any ancient power behind malevolence - besides the Heavenly Realm, but I don't think even those stuck-up seraphim would try to pull something like this. Far as I know, malevolence just…is. There's no greater force behind it, not like-" He cut off before he broke his oath.

"…Not like the flames of purification coming from Maotelus," Edna finished for him.

"Something's going on here that we don't know about," Eizen stated. "Something that might be far more dangerous than what any Shepherd has ever faced before. I don't like the idea of us proceeding without knowing what we're up against."

"Does it matter what we're up against?" Edna asked. "We have to fight it either way, we're this world's only hope."

"That's right," Zaveid agreed, "we can only do our best."

"Both arguments have a good point," Sahra commented, having turned back to them. She frowned and tugged at her braid. "But if it's really that big of a deal, we'll probably find out sooner or later, and there's no point worrying about it too much in the meantime - it's good to be mindful, but worrying won't accomplish anything. Let's be careful, but carry on doing what we can." She shrugged. "It's either that or give up, and giving up is the only way we can be sure we _won't _stop Niko."

"Agreed," Edna concurred.

"Yes," Sadie nodded, "Lady Sahra is right. There's no reason for us to give up before we have any cause to do so."

Eizen looked between his comrades. "You're right," he relented. "We have to take the trials, we know that much at least, and we're here now. Let's get the spiritual power of fire."

At last, he unstuck his boots and moved in Sahra's direction, the others joining him.

"Hey, Zaveid," Sahra said as they started walking towards the caves, "just now…you couldn't say Maotelus's name. And come to think of it, you didn't when you guys were catching me up on what's been going on, either; Edna had to do all the talking that involved him, or the malak he was before."

"It's the Prime Lord's oath," Zaveid shrugged. "Certain topics are taboo for those of us who carry the flames of purification."

"Be glad it's him and not Lailah," Edna added; "under this oath, Lailah would burst out into nonsense every time the subject came up. It was really annoying, one thing about her I definitely don't miss."

"As if Zaveid needs help spouting annoying nonsense out of nowhere," Sahra remarked drily.

"True!" Edna chuckled as they ventured through the tunnels that led to the shrine of the Great Lord Musiphe. Zaveid didn't protest, and they all retreated to cross the threshold within their vessel.

~o~

Through a door in the cave wall emblazoned with wavy designs that brought to mind a raging inferno, Eizen and Sadie were hit with a wall of intense heat, far hotter than Zaphgott Moor at high noon. Eizen stumbled from the force of it, and he heard Sadie gasp behind him.

_Now this feels like home!_ Sahra declared from within his chest, and he could almost see her grinning.

"Home?" he asked, already sweating.

_I told you, I came into being from Mt. Killaraus,_ she explained; _this is the kind of heat you find in a volcano._

_Fitting, _Edna noted._ Run on ahead, and you'll see. Be careful, though - this place is a maze if I recall correctly._

Eizen took a moment to fortify himself, then charged forward, Sadie behind him. The whole shrine was lit with torches, but that couldn't have been the source of the heat. Then, through some cobblestone rooms, they found themselves overlooking a massive pit that was lit by the orange glow of lava.

"Whoa," Eizen breathed. "No wonder it's so hot…"

_What did you expect of the Igraine Shrine?_ Edna asked pointedly.

"True." He looked around; there were multiple directions to take. "Where are we trying to go? There's no seraph here to tell us what the trial is…"

_Are we aiming for that big platform in the middle of the lava?_ Sahra suggested. _Edna, you've seen this shrine; what are we supposed to do?_

_I's a basic rule of etiquette that we not tell the Shepherd how to get through these things if we already know the answers,_ Edna sniffed._ But if we just look around and see what there is to do in here, it's not that hard._

"Right," Eizen nodded, and on a whim, he turned to the left.

As always, there were hellions, all of them fire-based in a place like this; never before had Eizen realized how sorely they were missing a water seraph. Still, the Rangetsu style could cut through anything sooner or later, and they faced no real challenge. Edna might have been exaggerating when she'd said the place was a maze, but Eizen found nothing but locked doors and dead ends.

"Hey Sahra, can I use your power?" Eizen asked her. "I'm thinking lighting these torches might do something." For there had been several dead sconces in the rooms they'd searched.

_Of course!_ Sahra replied brightly. _I'm not sure how you do that, though…Edna? Zaveid? A little help?_

_He knows how to use our power,_ Zaveid told her, _and it's no different with you. Just let him channel your energy._

_Okay…_

Calling on the blazing presence just below his sternum, Eizen waved his hand over an unlit torch. Fire spewed from his palm in a short burst, and he was amazed that it didn't actually burn him despite lighting the empty sconce.

_Sweet!_ Sahra exclaimed, and Eizen couldn't help but agree.

Lighting the other torch opened one of the doors that had stymied him, and he proceeded through even more rooms of hellions and cobblestone. Then there were more unlit torches, three in a row, and he tried to ignite them, but the first one wouldn't catch, though the second and third did just fine. Confused, he went back to the first one and cast Flame Burst, and this time it activated, another door opening.

_What's the deal with that, Edna?_ Sahra asked.

_You and Eizen need to figure it out on your own,_ Edna told her sharply.

Eizen could feel his fire seraph thinking, but she offered no ideas. Frowning, he examined the torches. They looked identical, but after staring for a long minute, he noticed patterns on the floor around them: an outline, and tick marks, each one different - the middle torch had one tick, the far one had two, and the first one had three.

"Oh, okay!" he exclaimed. "I have to light them in order."

_Okay, I_ _see!_ Sahra agreed brightly. _Let's pay attention around here, we have to think as well as act. I like it!_

From there, proceeding seemed to be easy, and Eizen soon found himself overlooking the central chamber once more, on a balcony that held a massive statue and a single unlit torch. He cast Flame Burst, and lava spewed from the back of the statue - or was it the front? - when the sconce lit, pouring down into the central chamber and causing the liquid fire to rise.

"Was I supposed to do that?" Eizen asked.

_Yeah,_ Sahra said, _I think it needs to rise before we can cross to the big platform. Am I right, Edna?_

_Stop asking!_ Edna snapped.

_Sorry, _Sahra laughed. _I'm just super-pumped, I don't like waiting around in here. Something about this place is energizing, don't you think?_

_Pretty sure that's just because you're a fire seraph,_ Edna grumbled.

Eizen chuckled and turned around; there was nothing more this way. Though he couldn't feel the same thing Sahra felt being here, just the fact that they were so much closer to getting the power they needed to stop Niko had him wanting to hurry.

Now the mazelike quality of the shrine became apparent: there were paths, staircases down, and more paths, and Eizen wasn't even sure where they were going. Still, he didn't ask more questions, he just proceeded methodically, trying each individual place he hadn't gone before. At one point, there was an arrangement of torches to light that had different markings at their bases - the outline and tick marks were still there, but the ticks were only on one side of each torch. On a hunch, he was careful to cast Flame Burst from the direction of where the marks appeared, and they lit without issue.

_Nice going!_ Sahra told him enthusiastically as the next door opened. _I was stumped there, myself._

"Thanks, Sahra," Eizen smiled, and he kept going.

They reached another balcony with a torch and a statue, and Eizen lit the flame, causing yet more lava to pour into the central chamber.

_That looks like the last one,_ Sahra said. _Now we just go, right?_

_Stop asking!_ Edna shouted.

Laughing, Eizen ran down for the central chamber, only the occasional hellion fight slowing him enough for Sadie to keep up. Platforms had risen with the lava, and were now on level with the central space Sahra had said they were aiming for; Eizen had to cast Silver Wind to cross the magma-filled gaps.

"What would I do if I didn't have a wind seraph with me?" Eizen wondered out loud.

_I could probably get you across in a pinch,_ Sahra answered. _Still, I'd rather trust Zaveid here, at least with that kind of thing._

_You saying there's something you _don't_ trust me with? _Zaveid asked with absolutely zero indignation or shame.

Sahra didn't dignify the question with a response, which was probably for the best. _Thanks, Sahra,_ Eizen thought at her, shielding the words from his other seraphim.

_For what?_ she asked.

_I know you despise my uncle,_ he said frankly, _but you never let it get in the way of what we need to do. Outside, you didn't say anything about…about his involvement with the seraph who turned into that dragon, either. I'm just glad to have someone who stays focused on what's important on my side._

_You're welcome,_ Sahra said slowly. As they stepped onto the platform right in the middle of the room, she added, in a darker tone, _Master Rokurou always taught me to focus now and think later._

_Yeah,_ Eizen couldn't help responding, _he taught me that too._

All three seraphim emerged, ending the conversation, and Sahra's face betrayed nothing as she manifested. After a moment, the platform they stood on descended below the pit of molten rock; it was even hotter down here, but there was only a single hallway leading to another chamber, this one also edged with a moat of lava.

"We're here," Eizen grinned, jogging ahead, his allies hurrying to keep up.

Across the room, he could see a crest on the wall that he thought was associated with Musiphe. At four regular intervals around a round platform, dark stone monoliths stood, similar to one that sat on the left side of the pathway leading into the chamber.

"What's this?" he asked, looking at the first monolith. "It's covered in writing…but I think it's in the ancient tongue. Dang." He knew the basic principles of the ancient tongue, but actually translating an entire inscription at a moment's notice without a reference guide was beyond him.

"Here, lemme take a look," Zaveid said, striding forward. He rubbed his chin and _hmm_ed, then read, "'To those of good will who would stand against evil: Place thine hands upon the monuments in the four cardinal directions, and my - Musiphe's - purifying flames shall be bequeathed unto thee.'"

"How do you know the ancient tongue, uncle Zaveid?" Eizen asked, surprised.

"I know the basics because I'm a seraph, and the ancient tongue defines our identities," the wind seraph replied with a shrug. "The finer points, I learned from Sorey while we were searching for Long Dau's Dust - I got bored during the long voyages across the sea, and it was something to pass the time."

"Huh." Eizen looked around at the other monuments thoughtfully. "So…I just touch those four monuments around the room, and we get the spiritual power of fire?" He shook his head. "I don't know about this. It all feels so…formal, much more formal than the other trials, and to just touch four stones is too simple. Too easy."

"Indeed," Sadie concurred, and everyone turned to her; her brown eyes were wary as she glanced around the room. "The Great Lord Musiphe is a fearsome entity, said only to appear at the beginning and end of the world. Unlike the other Great Lords, who maintain elemental balance in nature, the Great Lord Musiphe is a harbinger of destruction. Some say he is the reason fire even exists."

"I think the legends were exaggerating," Eizen said with a nervous laugh. "Musiphe appeared when my mother called on him to stop Innominat, and the world's still here."

"I don't know," Edna remarked. "His appearance coincided with the fall of Innominat and the rise of Maotelus; some might call that both the beginning and the end of the world, or at least the world as it was back then."

There was no arguing with this, and despite the heat, Eizen shivered.

"If there is one seraph in all this world who is not to be trifled with, it is the Great Lord Musiphe," Sadie stated. "So…I agree with you, Eizen. Touching four monuments is too easy of a task to earn his blessing."

Just the fact that Sadie was agreeing with him made Eizen smile; she'd become so much more open since they'd met Sahra, but it was still an amazing feeling when the girl who had scorned him for so long took his side. "Let's do as the monument says," he told her, "but be ready for anything."

She nodded, a hand on her battleax, and again, his heart soared. With his Squire behind him, Eizen climbed the few steps onto the platform in the middle of the chamber and started for one of the monuments.

Suddenly, a malevolent domain slammed down on them, their three seraphim vanishing in an instant. Alarmed, Eizen looked around for some sign of Niko, but was instead met with the sight of a hellion that appeared to be a cross between a dragon and a knight leaping down from an alcove in the far wall, horns and wings blazing orange with heat as it wielded a sword and a shield in its clawed hands.

"Sadie, look out!" he exclaimed, drawing his katana, but she already had her ax at the ready.

"The domain," she said, frustrated. "We can't fight it like this."

"Keep it busy as long as you can," he told her as the beast began charging what would probably be a fire-based arte. "I'm going to touch the monoliths and see what happens."

"Got it!"

Sadie charged at the monster, and Eizen turned and ran for the nearest of the four stone monuments. All the malevolence hindered his movements, as though he was running through water instead of air, but as he placed his hands on the first of the stones, he couldn't help but notice that the domain felt…different, somehow, from the one Niko had used against him. He acknowledged this, then set it aside: _Focus now, think later._

The Squire fought valiantly, but Eizen could hear her cry out with pain as she was cut and burned by the fearsome hellion, and he urged his legs to work faster, pushing through the cloying darkness with all his strength as he made his way around and slapped his hands against the stone blocks. Each one glowed as soon as he touched them, and when all four were lit, Eizen felt a rush of tremendous power surge through him and his bonds with his allies.

"There we go!" Zaveid grinned as he and the two Sub Lords manifested; though the domain didn't go away, the pressure making it hard to move eased. Glancing over at Sadie, Eizen saw that she appeared unharmed despite how often he'd heard her cry out in pain.

"We're all charged up and ready to fight!" Sahra declared, drawing her daggers and assuming the defensive stance signature of the Rangetsu style. "Let's take it down!"

"Shame we don't have a water seraph," Edna remarked, brandishing her umbrella.

"We don't need one," Eizen told her, turning on the dragon knight. "Let's do this!"

Five versus one might have seemed like an easy fight, but the hellion proved to be tremendously strong, even without the domain crippling them. Sometimes it would summon some fire-armadillo hellions to join it, but these were quelled easily, and didn't do much but serve to emphasize just how strong the primary threat really was. Eizen armatized with Edna and cast Earth Revolution, and it barely seemed to make a dent; Zaveid and Sahra weren't much help against a fire-based foe, though they did their best.

"Cut them down!"

A sudden shout from Sahra froze time, leaving only her in motion.

"Witness my master's ultimate teachings!" the fire seraph declared, fire blazing along the lengths of her daggers, and she danced around the hellion as Eizen had only ever seen his father do, each lightning-quick slash of her flaming blades possible only for a true master of the Rangetsu style. "_Blazing Heron_!" she shouted, leaping and summersaulting away. Behind her, a bird-shaped burst of fire erupted under her foe - that much, at least, was not part of the Rangetsu style.

Mystic Arte or no, fire-based attacks did almost nothing to the hellion. Still, with Rejuvenation artes and the power they'd attained thus far, along with both Eizen and Sadie's lifelong training in their respective battle techniques, they wore it down, and it began to grow more violent as its strength failed. Eizen de-armatized and slashed the beast.

"Fast as a bird!"

Carving out the forked pattern that was already familiar now, Eizen closed his eyes. "Behold, the mastery of my ancestors," he intoned as he allowed his katana to move of its own accord, slicing his enemy to ribbons, before stepping forward and performing the move known only to the finest of his clan: "_Swallow Return_!"

With that final blow, the hellion fell. Nothing else happened, though.

Eizen stared at the felled beast. It wasn't just that it had refused the flames of purification, he hadn't felt the seraphic fire even try to get through to it. Between that and the odd feeling to the malevolence around them…

"Sadie, wait!" he exclaimed suddenly as his Squire stepped forward, battleax raised in preparation to kill a hellion that wouldn't be quelled, and he grabbed her arm with his free hand.

Surprised, Sadie froze, staring at him with wide eyes.

He turned to the dragon knight, which pushed itself to its knees and met his gaze. "You…You aren't a hellion, are you?" he asked softly. "This isn't really malevolence, it's just an illusion, like what Zaveid conjured outside."

"Well spotted," chuckled a deep voice that could only be coming from the downed beast. "Never before has a Shepherd been able to discern the truth of his own accord. Most impressive." It stood and walked over to Eizen and Sadie, the other seraphim running over to join their allies. "You have passed the strength trial of the Great Lord Musiphe," declared the hellion-that-was-not-a-hellion. "Only one step remains. Lift up your sword."

Cautiously, Eizen raised his katana - then barely managed not to drop it, as the blade suddenly erupted into flames that turned the metal white-hot.

"With these flames, the Binding Brand shall be carved," the mysterious creature told him. "Now you must choose either yourself or your fire seraph, and with this power, char their face."

"What?!" Eizen gasped.

"Fret not, the target will not die," the monster told him. "In order for Lord Musiphe's power to bond with you, it must be etched into your being…or that of the fire seraph you travel with. Which will it be?"

"Well, that's easy," Eizen stated, and he brought the blazing sword to his own face without a moment's hesitation.

"Eizen!"

Ignoring Edna's alarmed cry, Eizen steeled himself as the heat searing his face grew more and more intense with each fraction of an inch the metal drew closer to his cheek, drawing on all the resolve his father had taught him. Fire licked at him hungrily, and his skin began to blister and scorch. Gritting his teeth, he forced the white-hot sword even closer, until he felt the edge of the blade touch him. He couldn't help crying out in agony as his flesh sizzled, melting and crisping in the heat, he could _smell_ it cooking as he dragged the sharp, burning metal along the side of his face, yet he didn't stop.

At last, with a final sweep of his katana, the flames died down, leaving him in near-crippling agony. He gasped for breath, each movement of his jaw sending pain lancing through his entire body, but he forced his burning eyelids open and looked up at the one who had set forth this task.

"Tell me, young Shepherd," the monster mused. "Why did you choose to inflict such pain upon yourself, and not your fire seraph?"

"Because," Eizen rasped through the agony of moving his facial muscles, "Sahra has a future. She will outlive me, outlive this whole ordeal. But I am the Shepherd, brother to the Lord of Calamity, scorned by many as hellion-spawn due to my parents' history; there is no future for me, I am fated to stand alone. What difference is a disfiguring mark on my face for someone like me?"

"I see," the creature said slowly. "Very well then. Armatize with your fire seraph, and complete the pact."

"Vuswos Kakwa," Eizen spat through his charred, cracking lips.

Though he hadn't felt the power through the haze of agony, as he armatized with Sahra, he felt that primal bond merge them together as only those blessed by the Great Lords could merge. With Sahra's essence imbuing his flesh, the pain of the burns eased, and he straightened up. Taking in his hands the massive sword that was the weapon of the fire armatus, Eizen slashed at the monster, then called on potential power that he should not have had after the fight - the work of Musiphe, he supposed.

"Lord of Fire!"

A domain froze time, and the already-massive two-handed sword they carried doubled in size.

"Crimson flame!"

Too heavy to be lifted, they had to drag the point of the weapon along the floor, sweeping around in wide circles, relying on momentum to deal damage.

"May it burn your soul!"

With a final spin, they unleashed an eruption of unfathomable fire on the beast:

"_Flamberge_!"

When the fire dissipated, so too did the thing they had been fighting, as well as the illusion of a malevolent domain. Reluctantly, Eizen de-armatized, prepared for the pain of his charred face; but as he was returned to his normal form and Sahra manifested, he felt the agony fade away, replaced by a cool wash of relief.

Surprised, Eizen put a hand to his blisters, and he could _feel_ the swelling dying down, the skin knitting back together, and within a minute, no trace remained of the ordeal save for a slightly raised line along his cheek where he'd branded himself - not nearly as raised as he would have expected considering what had created it.

"Well done," said the same deep voice they'd been hearing, and a strange creature manifested. It wore a white robe edged with red flames, reminiscent of the one Pawan had worn, but instead of a mask, its face appeared to be a cross between that of a snake and a fox, the hands poking out from under the robe's long sleeves also scaly and clawed.

"What are you?" Eizen gasped. He could sense no malevolence, so it wasn't a hellion, but it looked too demented to _not_ be a hellion.

"This is my true form," answered the…person? Seraph? "I am the seraph Ekseo, captain of this trial on behalf of Lord Musiphe."

"A seraph?" Sadie asked. "I knew seraphim could take the form of animals, but…"

"Indeed," Ekseo answered. "We come in many forms, even those of us who were human once."

"Whoa, you were reborn too?" Sahra asked him brightly, stepping forward. "So was I!"

"Yes, you are a kindred spirit," Ekseo chuckled. His slitted red eyes passed over all five of the adventurers. "I must admit, when Lord Musiphe told me of the group coming to take the trial, I was skeptical. A stone-hearted earth seraph with a child's face; a fire seraph of less than fifteen hundred years with power far surpassing even that of the late Lady Lailah; a wayward wind hunter who, despite having abandoned and been abandoned by life itself, chose to become the current Prime Lord; and a lone she-wolf, daughter of misfortune and bigotry, standing as Squire." He looked at each of them in turn as he spoke, and then his gaze turned to Eizen. "But the one I doubted most of all was you, young Shepherd. Brother to the Lord of Calamity, son of yet another, strength and ancient mastery ingrained into you since birth, but with a pure and honest heart, and a noble disposition worthy of the admiration of even the Great Lord Musiphe himself." His scaled, clawed hands spread. "Yet here you all are, exactly as I was told you would be."

"Lord Musiphe might be a little biased in my favor," Eizen mumbled, blushing. "Fifteen hundred years ago, he was incarnated with the soul of my father's brother, Shigure Rangetsu, and Shigure stands by my side now, in spirit. He helped me draw the Sacred Blade."

"Yes, so I've heard," Ekseo nodded. "Still, I am not biased, and I see exactly what Lord Musiphe sees. That you would not hesitate to carve the Binding Brand on yourself speaks of goodness beyond measure. However…" Though it was hard to tell with his snout, Eizen got the impression that Ekseo was suddenly frowning. "One thing you said does worry me."

"What's that?" Eizen asked.

"You said that the Shepherd is fated to stand alone," Ekseo said. "This is simply not true. A Shepherd alone will surely fall."

"But-!" Eizen exclaimed.

"Look around you, young Shepherd," Ekseo told him. "Are you not surrounded by allies, family and friends you know you can depend on?"

"I am," Eizen said, "but Shepherd Sorey always said that the duty of the Shepherd is to stand alone between the light and the dark, forever a sword and shield to the people, people who will never thank him or accept him as one of their own. I have no place in human society, or seraph society; I trust my allies, but to be the Shepherd is my only fate. I have no future."

"Take care you do not fall into despair, for that is quite possibly the darkest form of malevolence," Ekseo said gravely.

Behind him, Eizen thought he heard Zaveid mumble something in what sounded like agreement. "I don't despair," Eizen told Ekseo, shaking his head. "I have my family, and that's all I need."

"Hmm."

Eizen turned around to face Sadie and his seraphim. Edna was looking at him with wide, sad eyes, Sahra was frowning and fiddling with her braid, and Sadie…Sadie was gazing at him with an expression he couldn't read. Was it…respect? Maybe even admiration?

"Let's go, everyone," he said. "We need to find a water seraph and take the trial of Amenoch."

"Any ideas where to look for one?" Sahra asked.

"Elysia," Edna spoke up, surprising Eizen. "Now that we've completed the other trials, surely there's at least one water seraph in Elysia who'd be willing to help us attain the spiritual power of water. They don't have to be fighters, or even stay with us for very long, and the Lefay Shrine isn't far from Elysia anyway - as long as Eizen gets Amenoch's blessing, we'll be able to stand against Niko just fine whether we have an actual water seraph with us or not."

"Good idea, big sis," Eizen nodded. "Let's head for Elysia."

"Before we go," Zaveid said, stepping forward, his eyes looking past Eizen, "mind if I ask you something there, Ekseo?"

"I was going to ask the same of you, Prime Lord," Ekseo remarked as Eizen stepped back to get out of the way of their conversation. "But please, by all means, ask your question first."

"Were you the one conjuring those illusions when we fought you?" Zaveid asked. "And if so…how? How did you have the strength to maintain such powerful illusory artes for such a long time, and during a fight no less?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand your question," Ekseo responded uncertainly.

"I've been wielding illusory artes for over five hundred years now," Zaveid explained, "but to conjure illusions as strong as what you pulled off here always leaves me feeling all sore and drained - I could never wield them for such a long and tough battle without passing out. How'd you manage it?"

"Strange," Ekseo mused. "Illusory artes, while demanding, become easier with practice. You say you've used them for centuries? What oath did you take to attain this power?"

"I took an oath to never kill again," Zaveid answered.

"_Again_, you say…" Ekseo repeated. One clawed hand came up to stroke his maroon-tipped white goatee. "Perhaps…you need to find a way to increase your strength."

"I'm plenty strong, thank you!" Zaveid exclaimed.

"Not in body," Ekseo clarified, shaking his head; "in spirit. Strengthen your soul, and your illusions should gain strength likewise."

Zaveid threw his head back and laughed, harder than Eizen thought he'd ever heard the wind seraph laugh before, as though this was the funniest joke he'd heard in two thousand years.

"Do you think I jest?" Ekseo asked him.

"Nope," Zaveid chuckled, reining in his mirth. "That's why it's so funny - because, see, that wouldn't work for me, though it does explain a lot." He chortled again. "It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"Ugh," Edna grumbled. "I'm really tired of hearing you say that."

"Hey, it's true!" Zaveid shrugged, still laughing. "Now, uh, what'd you wanna ask me?"

"The same question I ask every Prime Lord who comes through here," Ekseo answered: "What did you sacrifice to attain the power of purification?"

"Sacrifice?!" Eizen exclaimed, turning to his uncle.

All the mirth completely left Zaveid's face, almost instantly. "Yeah," he muttered, glancing at Eizen; "in order to become Prime Lord, a seraph has to sacrifice a piece of themselves." When his red-brown gaze turned back to Ekseo, it was sharp. "That's a mighty personal question you're asking."

"Pardon me," Ekseo said with a slight, almost apologetic bow. "I am simply curious to know what defines the champions of each Age, always have been. You needn't answer if you would prefer not to."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," Zaveid sighed, tipping his hat over his face. "Even if I wanted to tell ya, we don't really have that kinda time. It's complicated."

"Very well," Ekseo conceded, and he looked around to include all five heroes in his gaze. "I wish you all the best of luck," he told them; "there is much riding on your shoulders."

And with that, the strange fire seraph was gone.

No one moved for a long minute. Despite his earlier words, Eizen was still reeling from the intensity of the Fire Trial. One hand went to the scar on his cheek, raised and defined but not nearly as bad as he'd been expecting. _I wonder what it looks like…_

"Well," Sahra said at last, "let's head to Elysia, then."

"You'll probably have to go in without me," Zaveid piped up. "I'm not exactly welcome in Elysia."

"You're not?" Eizen asked, turning to his uncle in surprise.

"Nope," Zaveid shrugged, shaking his head. "The seraphim of Elysia…well, let's just say they like to think of their homeland as a piece of the Heavenly Realm on earth - a safe haven, far away from all the world's troubles. And me, I'm nothing _but_ trouble, and what's worse is that I have no intention of ever being anything else. So the Elysians and I have a little agreement: I leave them alone, and they leave me alone."

"You can have agreements with people like that?" Sahra asked, though it almost sounded more like a demand. "Why don't _we_ have that agreement?"

"Huh?" Zaveid asked, looking confused.

"Uncle, you have to come with us to make a Sub Lord pact with whatever water seraph joins us," Eizen pointed out, ending the conversation before it started - despite Sahra's admirable focus, one thing that seemed clear was that there was some sort of bad blood between her and Zaveid, and knowing his uncle, Eizen had a feeling it would be for the best if the details about it not come out in front of Sadie.

"If a water seraph is willing to help you, they'll be willing to leave Elysia, so I'll just wait outside," Zaveid dismissed. "For now, let's start making the trek over there."

"We should go to Pendrago first," Edna stated; "it'll be nightfall soon, and we could all use a rest. Remember, we killed a dragon before we even came in here."

"Edna's right," Eizen agreed, "but maybe we should stay in Lastonbell instead, since it's a little closer, and on the way anyway."

"Makes sense," Edna conceded. "Either way, we should head out soon, the sun's probably already setting."

All three seraphim retreated to rest within Eizen's chest, leaving him both alone and not alone with Sadie, who was glancing around at the walls almost anxiously.

"Sadie?" he asked her gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "Are…are you?"

Eizen blinked. _Did she just…?_ "I'm alright," he answered. "The, uh, the burns are gone, it doesn't hurt anymore."

When her brown eyes turned on him at last, they immediately zeroed in on the mark along his cheek. It looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't quite get the words out.

"…Come on," he finally said gently, breaking the awkward silence. "We need to get moving."

"Yes," Sadie nodded, but the odd look didn't leave her eyes as he turned away and started making his way out of the Igraine Shrine.

* * *

**If for some reason you can't figure out exactly why Forsea was so mad at Zaveid, or you just want to know the exact scene behind that bit of this chapter, see my Zestiria-only M-rated oneshot, "Wingman".**

**Also, if you're annoyed that I basically glossed over a bunch of Sadie's character development, well, one, I couldn't figure out any specific scenes to write for the trip back, and two, this story is going to be SUPER-long as it is (and even more so with the current rewrite) - the original rough draft, to which there were plenty of additions since uploading the chapters to my doc manager on this site even before the rewrite, clocked in at just over 250,000 words. In all, I'm not cutting nearly as many corners as Bamco did with Zestiria, so I think I've earned the right to cop out this once.**


	16. The Odds Have Left Us

It was late by the time they reached Lastonbell, but everyone still awake there welcomed the Shepherd and Squire with open arms. Edna could feel Eizen's relief to be back in a town that both knew and accepted him, though there was still the faint prickle of guilt when he remembered the life he'd taken here. Everyone explained what had happened in Lastonbell to Sahra over dinner, and she took the information in passively. Edna also remarked that it was a shame she wasn't in the mood for heat after the Fire Trial, since they now had a fire seraph who could keep Zaveid under control if they visited the sauna; when Sahra asked why she specifically would have been needed, Edna insisted the two of them retreat within Eizen for a brief, private conversation so she could tell Sahra the story without Sadie hearing it. Sahra was not even remotely surprised, and not for the first time, Edna noticed that her disgust towards Zaveid seemed intense enough to be personal. But she didn't ask, instead manifesting to finish dinner and go to bed.

"I can't believe we're going home," Eizen sighed as they headed for their rooms. "It feels like it's been several lifetimes since I last saw Ladylake…"

"You've become a man over the course of this journey, kiddo," Zaveid remarked as the boys split off from the girls, and Edna prayed he wouldn't follow that train of thought down the path she was certain he was going to go. As usual, Edna got her own room, while Sahra and Sadie shared one so they could talk until the human fell asleep, after which Sahra would stand guard outside the inn; this was already their routine, and it had done wonders for Sadie's disposition, so Edna had no reason to complain.

When morning came, they stopped by the store to restock their supplies, though there wasn't too much need for it that Lastonbell could fill, then made their way through Volgran Forest. _Donovan said he corrupted all the hellions we purified going through here the first time,_ Edna remembered, and it certainly seemed like there were a fair number of beasts roaming around despite Sindra's domain. _Maybe we should have gone back…_ But it was too late to worry about that now, and with Sahra helping them, nothing in the forest put up any kind of real fight.

Finally, the woods thinned, and they reached Glaivend Basin. Sadie was walking ahead, but as soon as she set foot on the sand, she jerked to a stop.

"What's wrong, Sadie?" Eizen asked, stepping up beside her.

The Squire didn't need to answer; the moment Eizen crossed the threshold, a malevolent domain slammed down on him, suppressing his seraphim's abilities to manifest.

_Niko,_ Edna thought. _Great. Just what we needed._

_He can't hear us, right?_ Sahra asked.

_Not unless he turns back,_ Zaveid sighed. _Let's hope he actually does this time…_

By some miracle, Eizen actually took a step backwards, outside of the malevolent domain that covered Glaivend Basin. "Guys?" he asked. "What should we do?"

All three seraphim emerged, and Sadie joined them back within the shelter of the trees.

"Thanks for turning back for once," Edna remarked; "that could have gone badly." She opened her umbrella and twirled it idly. "There's another way to Hyland besides going through Glaivend Basin. Sorey had to take that path a few times due to the tension between Hyland and Rolance during his journey. Hopefully, it hasn't collapsed since then, but even if it has, my power can always clear the way, and it's a better option than trying to face the Lord of Calamity before we finish the last trial."

"Which way?" Eizen asked.

"Head northeast," Edna told him, pointing with her umbrella. "There should be an entrance to a tunnel called Lamorak Cave just on the other side of a stream. That'll take us around Glaivend Basin to the Bors Ruins, which is right next to Marlind."

"Sounds good," Eizen nodded, and his seraphim retreated to rest within him as he led Sadie back into the forest and along its northern edge.

But of course, nothing could ever be so simple for them; when they reached the northern corner of the woods, they found what had once been a gentle stream to now be a raging river, with a slight cliff rising on the other side in place of a riverbank.

"I thought you said it was a stream, big sis!" Eizen exclaimed as his seraphim manifested again.

"It was," Edna shrugged. "Not sure how it got like this…"

"This is the same stream that flows through Marlind," Zaveid mused. "But it wasn't like this up there…" He shook his head, then rubbed his chin, assessing the situation. "That cliff on the other side means Silver Wind won't get you across. Not like this, at least - wind doesn't normally blow upwards. And without a water seraph…"

"I can get us across," Edna stated. "Let's just hope the cave is still there when we reach the other side."

Summoning spires of earth for them to jump across, though, wasn't as easy as Edna expected - the water was both deep and fast, and though water wasn't Edna's element, she could feel the earth itself protest along either riverbank as she tried to conjure something they could stand on in the middle of the torrent, as though a slight misdirect of the flow would cause multiple landslides. Eventually, she had to settle for making one small island on the halfway point that Silver Wind could just barely get them to, then reaching into the land and convincing the cliff on the other side to lower enough that their wind seraph's power could carry them the rest of the way. When at last they were across, a shallow indent in a wall of mud indicated where the entrance to Lamorak Cave had once been.

_Aw, no way!_ Sahra groaned. _It's collapsed?_

_Try using Giant's Strength before we give up, baby brother,_ Edna told Eizen; _maybe it's just a shallow blockade._

"Right," Eizen said, and he thrust a palm forward, drawing from Edna's strength. The earth in front of them crumbled, revealing a hole that led into the earth.

_Finally, some luck!_ Zaveid remarked as Eizen and Sadie ducked into the dimly-lit cavern.

_Don't jinx it,_ Edna told him darkly.

The cave itself was riddled with the remains of what looked like mudslides; the passage was too narrow for even hellions to be lurking, and Edna's power was needed to forge ahead multiple times. Still, the cave existed, at least, and they pushed through as long as there was a tunnel for them to squeeze into. Eventually, as they left the narrowest of the passages behind, what looked like natural light glimmered on a wall far ahead, and they rounded a corner into a massive space, one hole in the surrounding rock leading up a mound of dirt and outside.

But the exit didn't hold their attention for long.

With a roar, a massive drake leapt out at them from their left, and Eizen and Sadie scattered, barely dodging its fangs. Edna and the other seraphim manifested and prepared their weapons.

"A dragon?" Eizen asked.

"Nope, just a drake," Zaveid responded. "Maybe a water seraph, if we're lucky."

_That'd be nice,_ Edna thought as she charged a seraphic arte.

Eizen slashed the scaly beast with his katana, and Sadie armatized with Zaveid; after so much travel together, none of them hesitated, not even against such a powerful foe. Was it Edna's imagination, or did her earth-based attacks seem to do additional damage? She tried not to hope this really was a water seraph, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it might be the case.

Though it was a drake, the five heroes were strong, and only a few healing artes were needed to keep everyone on their feet. When eventually Eizen armatized with Edna and cast their Mystic Arte, the drake fell and did not rise.

Both humans de-armatized as the flames of purification washed over the corrupted seraph, until there was nothing left but a woman lying face-down on the ground. She wore a blue dress with long, loose sleeves and laces up the back; her back also bore a holster that held a broad-headed silver spear with ornate wire filigree between the blade and the shaft. Her hair was a sapphire-blue color, just slightly lighter than her dress, straight down to just past about chin-length, before it curled into triangular little whirlpool shapes and turned white, leaving the strands in about a dozen or so sections. Edna had barely registered that it really was a water seraph when a strangled noise from behind her caused her to turn around in alarm, only to see Zaveid staring at the former drake with wide-eyed shock.

"No," he whispered. "It…can't be…" He shook his head slowly, his eyes not moving. "Theo…dora…?" he rasped.

Edna blinked and glanced back at the water seraph.

"Who's Theodora?" Sahra asked from between them.

"Friend of his, died a long time ago," Edna answered briefly, turning back to Zaveid. "And no, you idiot, of course that's not her."

"No," he whispered, shaking his head again. "No, of course not, she…she'd never touch a weapon…"

"And the hair colors are reversed," Edna said pointedly.

"Huh?" Still staring, Zaveid blinked a few times. "Y-Yeah…so they are…"

But he wouldn't stop gazing at the female seraph they had just purified. Something about the way he looked at her made Edna scowl, and she turned her back on her Prime Lord to refocus on what might end up being the luckiest break they'd had since Niko turned. After a moment, the woman stirred, groaning slightly as she lifted her head and opened her violet eyes to look at her rescuers.

Zaveid gasped, his steps uneven as he lunged forward, and suddenly he was kneeling in front of the fallen seraph, one hand held out. "Hey," he murmured, "are you okay?"

She looked up at him, and blinked as their eyes met. "Y-Yes," she stammered, placing her fingers in his palm, and he pulled her up. "I…I'll be fine. Thank you." Even once she was on her feet, she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from Zaveid for a long minute.

Upright, it was easier to see her build. She was slim, and she looked shorter than she actually was; everything about her seemed to declare that she was delicate, easily broken. Her dress had a high neckline and hung around her figure just barely not loosely enough to make her look too thin; at the waist, it came in slightly, then flowed down in a skirt composed of crimps and frills that brought to mind a cascading waterfall before coming to a slightly ruffled hem just shy of the ground. _Definitely a water seraph,_ Edna thought, but the way she and Zaveid stared into each other's eyes somehow made Edna less than eager to see this water seraph join their team.

After far too much time, the seraph blinked, shook her head, and turned to Eizen. "You must be the Shepherd?" she asked.

"I am," Eizen confirmed, stepping forward. "My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe. This is Sadie, that's Zaveid, this is Edna, and this is Sahra."

Violet eyes turned to each of the Shepherd's allies as he introduced them - eyes that seemed timid, shy, nervous for some reason. "It's nice to meet you all," she finally responded politely. "My name is Lucine."

"Lucine…?" Zaveid repeated.

Lucine flinched, as though hearing her name spoken out loud was painful, and she turned on him abruptly.

"I mean, that's, uh," he cleared his throat before giving her a very forced smile, "that's a beautiful name."

_What the heck?_ Edna thought; Zaveid never got nervous, especially not around women, but now he was acting like how she assumed Eizen had acted when he'd first tried to talk to Sadie a few years earlier. Even despite that, though, a slight blush crept into Lucine's porcelain cheeks, and she looked away from him.

"Thank you for saving me," she told Eizen with a slight bow. "Any longer, and I would have turned into a dragon. I am forever in your debt." She grasped her left forearm in her right hand demurely, then said, "Please, do not let me keep you; you have wasted enough time on me already."

"Lady Lucine," Sadie said, stepping forward, "pardon me, but…you are a water seraph, yes?"

"I am…" Lucine replied slowly.

"We are in great need of a water seraph," Sadie told her. "Please, would you consider doing us the honor of joining us in our quest?"

"Joining you?" Lucine seemed to curl in on herself, blushing even deeper. "Surely you could find a water seraph who would be of more use to you than me…"

"Not really," Edna shrugged, forcing herself to ignore the inexplicable resentment that coiled in her gut; "most seraphim in the world are too scared to face the current Lord of Calamity. We were just on our way to Elysia to pester the water seraphim there into helping us pass the Water Trial, with no hope that they'd stick with us afterwards. Can you use that spear you're carrying?"

"Y-Yes, I can," Lucine answered, nodding. "Not that it was any use when I foolishly decided to step outside Lamorak Cave for a moment." She shuddered. "Such malevolence…I've never felt anything like it. I should have known better than to step outside, but…I missed the sun…I made a mistake, as I can only ever seem to do. Even in trying to seal this cave off, it seems I failed, since you all managed to get in here…"

_Guess that explains the change in geography,_ Edna noted. _Why would she want to seal off this cave, though…?_

"Well, with a vessel, you don't have to worry about corruption," Sahra pointed out, smiling radiantly at the nervous water seraph. "And hey, we all make mistakes sometimes, nothing wrong with that. Come on, Lucine, join us! We'd be happy to have you."

"I am not so sure about that," Lucine mumbled. "I would only be a burden to you."

"_I'm_ sure," Eizen said firmly. "Lucine, please, we need a water seraph."

"If you can fight, that automatically makes you more helpful to us than any of the wimps we were planning to ask for help," Edna pointed out dully, setting her concerns aside. "Besides, didn't you say you owed us?"

"I…" Again, the water seraph moved uncomfortably, but something in her expression seemed to shift. "I don't think you really want my help," she said, "but if you truly believe I can be of use to you, then…I would be honored to be your Sub Lord."

"Sweet!" Sahra cheered, and Lucine started walking over to her.

"Ahem."

Zaveid cleared his throat, and Lucine turned back to him.

His nervousness was gone, and he gave her a lopsided smile. "I'm the Prime Lord here, babe," he told her.

"Oh?" Lucine gasped, glancing between him and Sahra. "But…but I thought-"

"The Prime Lord doesn't have to be a fire seraph," Zaveid explained; "he or she just has to be willing to take the job."

_Hopefully, this is the last time we ever have to explain that to someone,_ Edna thought as Lucine looked between the wind seraph and fire seraph a few more times.

Sahra nodded at Lucine, and Lucine walked back over to Zaveid. "Very well," she said. "Please, make the pact."

The Prime Lord reached out and took Lucine's hands in his - and was it Edna's imagination, or was he holding them more gently than he had for her or Sahra? "O ye born of the sacred currents of peace," he intoned, "here let our pact be forged, that my tetherless freedom may be as thy purification! Shouldst thou accept this burden, speak aloud your true name."

"M-My true name?!" Lucine yelped, pulling her hands back and leaping away from him. "Out loud?! Must I?!"

"Uh…" Zaveid looked around at his allies, blinking, clearly just as baffled as they were. "Well…yeah. I need to know it to complete the pact, and Eizen and Sadie need to know it to armatize with you."

"W-What about them?" Lucine whimpered, gesturing to Sahra and Edna. "Do they need to know it?"

"I…Well, I mean, I guess not…" Zaveid said slowly, his brow furrowed under his hat.

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Sahra asked with an easygoing smile. "A seraph's true name is really personal, sure, but I shared mine readily - as a Shepherd's Sub Lord, you have to trust the team, even I know that."

Again, Lucine flinched, and her violet eyes were perfectly round with something like terror as she glanced around at everyone, making her delicate face look even more meek and vulnerable. After a moment, Edna rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is," she told Lucine, "but we don't have time to waste." She turned her back, twirling her umbrella. "Come on, Sahra, let's give her some space while Zaveid makes the pact."

"Oh, uh…okay, sure," Sahra shrugged, and she followed Edna back into the narrow cavern they'd emerged from and around a corner.

As they walked away from the scene with the water seraph, Edna scowled under her umbrella. In her chest, she felt an unpleasant mix of emotions she couldn't quite sort through, nor could she simply suppress them as she usually did with her feelings.

"What a weird girl," Sahra remarked when they stopped, confident that they were far enough away. "She seemed really scared for some reason. Why would a seraph be scared of their own true name?"

"Beats me," Edna muttered.

"But hey, at least Zaveid's happy," Sahra went on, her voice laced with exasperated resignation. "He must think he's the luckiest Prime Lord in the world. Did you see the way he was looking at her?"

"Yeah, I noticed!" Edna snapped, more harshly than she meant to.

"Uh…" Edna looked up to see Sahra frown at her. "You okay, Edna? You seem grumpy, even for you."

"I'm fine," Edna growled.

"You sure?" Sahra tugged at her braid. "Come on, you can tell me. What's bothering you?"

Edna was about to deny everything again, when suddenly, the phosphorescent light of the caves caught Sahra's eyes in such a way that they seemed to glow for a moment, and before she could think about it, Edna blurted out, "He's never looked at me like that."

As soon as the words came out, Edna clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing how that sounded. Sahra blinked, then laughed. "Edna," she chortled, "are you _jealous_?"

"No!" Edna snapped. "Don't be stupid! Of course I'm not jealous!"

"Not even a little bit?" Sahra teased, and again, her eyes seemed to flash with light.

"No, I'm just hurt, and a little disappointed," Edna replied, then flinched again at the unexpected words that flew off her tongue without her willing them to.

"Sounds like jealousy to me," Sahra snickered.

"It's not," Edna stated, and she reached over to where her plushie was dangling from her umbrella and squeezed it, trying to get her thoughts in order. "It's just…he's been asking me to be his girlfriend for years now. I was never going to say yes, but…I don't know…maybe I was starting to think he actually meant it."

"Girlfriend, huh?" Sahra mused, fiddling with her braid again. "I didn't think Zaveid even knew that word - he's not the kind of guy to ask something like that. It's weird, how he looks at Lucine, but I don't think it's crossing his mind even with her."

_You'd be surprised,_ Edna thought, remembering how he'd thought Lucine was Theodora. "In any case, it's a good thing we ran into her," she said flatly; "this just proves I've been right to turn him down all this time."

"Let's hope Lucine has that kind of sense," Sahra remarked, frowning again. "Honestly, the way she was looking right back at him, I'm a little worried. If she's not careful, he'll break her heart and walk away laughing."

_Laughing? That's a bit much…_"Why do you hate him so much, anyway?" Edna inquired. "It's pretty obvious you have something personal against him…Eizen wouldn't want you to talk about it around Sadie, but did Zaveid seduce you too, like he did Forsea?"

"What? No!" Sahra exclaimed. "No, no, it's nothing like that!"

"Then what is it?" Edna smirked, glad to have turned the discomfort around.

Sahra sighed, tugging at her braid again. "Edna," she said, "I've been a seraph for nearly fifteen hundred years; Zaveid and I have crossed paths several times before…and every single time, he's hit on me. I keep telling him no, I've told him several times why I would never, but whenever I see him, he's forgotten all about me and just asks again."

"And why would you never?" Edna asked. "Besides the obvious, I mean."

"Because," Sahra answered resignedly, "I'm not the person I was when I was human. As a human, I liked guys - never really had a serious relationship, but, you know, I enjoyed men. But when I was reborn, I just…" She shrugged. "…lost interest."

"So…what? You like girls?" Edna asked.

It had been intended as a joke, but to Edna's complete shock, Sahra nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "And I've told him that several times, sometimes politely, sometimes not so politely." She scowled. "And yet every time I run into him, it's just, 'Hey, baby, you up for a fun night?' He probably still doesn't remember, the pig. It's obvious he just takes what he wants and doesn't give a damn about anyone."

There was a lot to sort out in this declaration, and Edna toyed with the idea of telling Sahra that, while she wasn't exactly _wrong_ per se, there was a lot more to it than there seemed to be. But Zaveid's complexities were something he kept from everyone, something he even tried not to admit to himself, and…well, it wasn't Edna's place to tell people his darkest secrets, no matter how annoyed she was at him at the moment. "Well, you're the resident fire seraph," she pointed out instead; "it's up to you to keep our wind seraph under control."

"Got it," Sahra nodded. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

_He probably will anyway._ Edna opened her mouth to say as much, but footsteps from behind Sahra caught her attention.

"Lady Sahra?" Sadie asked. "Lady Edna? The pact is forged, and Lady Lucine has joined us. We should head for the Lefay Shrine as quickly as possible."

"Right," Edna agreed, and she closed her eyes and returned herself to her vessel, from a greater distance than she was used to. Sahra did the same, and then they were all together within Eizen, including the new presence that sat between Edna and Sahra on the left side of Eizen's chest, right next to his heart.

_Welcome aboard, Lucine,_ Sahra said cheerfully. _Glad to have you!_

_Thank you,_ Lucine responded, though she still seemed nervous. _I promise I will do my best to be of use._

_You already are, babe,_ Zaveid assured her.

_Indeed,_ Edna agreed. _Come on, Eizen, let's get to the Lefay Shrine. Once we have the spiritual power of water, we'll be able to take Niko down._

_Niko?_ Lucine asked as Sadie rejoined Eizen and they headed for the exit together.

_The Lord of Calamity is a girl named Niko,_ Edna explained. _She's-_

A sudden gasp from her vessel cut her off, and she looked out through Eizen's eyes to an incomprehensible sight. Wondering if his vision was mistaken, she emerged, the other seraphim joining her, only to discover that no, he hadn't been seeing things.

The exit to Lamorak Cave was almost blocked by a mound of dirt that they now stood on top of, and from this vantage point, it was clear to see that the Bors Ruins were completely blanketed in hellions of all sizes. Every rock, every tree, every blade of grass was smothered in writhing, crawling malevolent bodies, the monsters swarming over each other like a horde of ants.

"So many hellions," Sadie gasped. "How did this happen?"

"We didn't come through here on our way to Rolance," Eizen remembered out loud, and he looked at Edna. "You said there was no reason for us to go this way, Edna."

"There wasn't," Edna pointed out.

"I'm not sure we can fight them all," Sahra remarked. "But we can't go through Glaivend Basin because of Niko's domain. Should we…try to find a way around?"

"Easier said than done," Eizen responded slowly. "But I don't see any other options…" He looked around the exit to Lamorak Cave, frowning.

A sound caught Edna's attention, and she looked to the side to see Lucine drawing her spear, her violet eyes flashing with determination. "Wait!" Edna exclaimed, but Lucine was already dashing down into the sea of hellions, twirling her weapon like a baton.

"What the hell?"

"_Lucine_?!"

It was too late; the monsters had already noticed the water seraph. Her form wasn't bad by any means - she slashed and stabbed with her broad-headed spear, twirling and casting the occasional quick water-based arte, cutting through the vat of hellions like a river - but for all her apparent competence, there were clearly too many enemies for her to win the fight.

"Maybe we shouldn't have brought her," Edna muttered.

"Hang on," Sahra gasped. "Guys, look!"

Edna looked back at the battlefield. Though the malevolent creatures swarmed at their enemy, it actually looked like Lucine was holding her own against them.

"They're all going down in one hit," Eizen breathed. "They're weak. Maybe we can take them after all!"

"Well, what are we doing just standing around?" Sahra asked, drawing her daggers. "Let's help!"

"Right!" Eizen nodded, drawing his katana, and he, Sadie, and Sahra dove down the dirt mound to join Lucine in the fight.

Just before she followed her allies, Edna glanced over and saw that Zaveid hadn't moved. His eyes were wide and focused on the scene before him, his expression slack with wonder; she didn't have to follow his gaze to know where he was looking. _He's practically drooling,_ she noted with disgust.

"Hey," she said sharply, jabbing him in the arm with her umbrella. "Are you going to help out or not, Mr. Prime Lord?"

"Huh? Oh!" Zaveid shook his head hard, then set his jaw and raised his hands. "Right. Let's do this!" He ran into the fray, and Edna jogged after him.

The hellions were indeed weak, each one quelled almost as soon as they were struck; but there were so many, so incredibly many, that it almost didn't seem to matter. After a couple of minutes, Eizen armatized with Edna, and they tried to cast a seraphic arte that would make a dent in the hordes, but there was no time to charge it as the hellions smothered them, flowing over them in waves. Realizing that they could only strike out with their weapons as individuals, they severed the armatus and kept fighting. Slowly, the tiny nicks and cuts left by the endless sea of malevolent creatures began to add up. It didn't matter that the monsters were weak, Edna realized; there were simply _too many of them_. _Was every single insect and blade of grass in this entire forest turned into its own hellion?!_ she wondered.

"Open your heart!"

A domain suddenly froze time, leaving only the water seraph who had charged blindly into this battle in motion. One sandaled foot pressed down on a small hellion, and she spun around, drawing a circle on the ground with her spear, blue light erupting from the line etched in the dirt.

"May these waves from the depths wash away your sins…" she intoned.

_A Mystic Arte?_ Edna thought. _On such a weak enemy? She really is stupid…_

Lucine finished drawing the circle, twirled and lifted her spear, then brought the point down on her target.

"_Cleansing Tsunami_!"

Water mana erupted from underfoot like a geyser, and Edna promptly ate her unspoken words as the attack cascaded over the entire battlefield - instead of getting weaker the further it spread, the torrent seemed to grow stronger with each hellion it quelled, spreading outward from the one who had cast it and smiting every single bit of malevolence in its wake. When eventually the arte ended and the domain broke, they were left standing in an empty forest, insects and rodents and bits of plant life all falling to the ground and scurrying away until they were entirely alone.

Facing away from her new comrades, Lucine brought her spear up in a salute of sorts with a flourish, then holstered the weapon across her back once more, the point poking out over her left shoulder.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, turning around.

Everyone stared at her, stunned.

"_Damn_," Zaveid remarked, breaking the silence, "you've got some _skills_, babe! Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"I'd rather not talk about - _oh_!" Lucine exclaimed, noticing, as Edna did, that Zaveid was down on one knee, clutching his chest, his body covered in wounds. "Zaveid! You're injured!"

"Oh, don't worry about me, baby," Zaveid smirked, looking up as she trotted over to him. "I'm a man, I can take it."

"Hold still," she instructed, and she raised her hands just an inch away from his shoulders. Light began pouring out of her palms, swirling over his body and knitting the gashes in his seraphic skin back together.

Edna stared in surprise - though she knew a couple of defensive artes, healing artes had never been the sort of thing she could conjure on the fly like this. Even Lailah had never exactly been a master of healing, though she'd been much more adept at the skill than any other seraph Edna had ever fought alongside before.

"A healer too, huh?" Zaveid asked with a lopsided grin. "Is there anything you _can't_ do, angel?"

_"__Angel"?! _For all her centuries putting up with Zaveid's gross behavior, not once had Edna ever heard him call a girl "angel" before. Scowling, she stepped forward. "Make rational decisions, apparently," she snapped in answer to Zaveid's question.

Both Lucine and Zaveid turned to her, startled, though Lucine continued healing the downed wind seraph.

"Are you stupid?" Edna demanded of their new ally. "What were you thinking, charging into a mass of hellions like that? If they'd been any stronger, we would all be dead now, and there would be nothing to stop the Lord of Calamity from smothering the world in malevolence!"

"I…I'm sorry," Lucine whimpered, cowering away from Edna in terror, moving her hands as though to defend herself as Zaveid stood up, fully healed. "Please forgive me, I…I only thought that, as allies to the Shepherd, it was our duty to quell malevolence, and…well, these creatures were obviously suffering. I only wanted to help them."

"Suffering?" Edna repeated. "You mean you knew they were weak?"

"I don't know," Lucine mumbled, shaking her head, the white curls at the ends of her straight blue locks bouncing across her shoulders. "I only felt that…that I needed to help them, since it was within my power to do so. Would we have left them malevolent if given a choice?"

"Maotelus could have purified them after we took Niko down," Edna pointed out bitingly, ignoring the fact that the water seraph was clearly on the verge of tears. "You shouldn't have taken that kind of risk. Any more judgment calls like that on your part and the world is doomed."

"Take it easy, Edna," Zaveid said calmly, stepping in front of Lucine as though to protect her. "The fact is, we _were_ able to purify them, with Lucine's help, and we're all okay. No point worrying about what might've been."

"Unless she does something like this again-"

"I agree with Zaveid," Eizen spoke up, cutting Edna off as he stepped forward, the others walking over to join them. Edna glanced at her baby brother, and saw that his expression was grave. "These hellions shouldn't have been this weak, Niko wouldn't be this sloppy," he said; "the only reason she'd pull a rush job like this is if she was trying to give the _appearance_ of something we couldn't get past."

"So…" Sahra said slowly, "something that would rout us back into Glaivend Basin? Or at least something that would make us waste a lot of time trying to get around it…"

"And if she was trying to waste our time, then that begs the question of why," Eizen went on. "What is she doing that she doesn't want us to interrupt?"

"Isan!" Edna gasped suddenly as realization struck.

Everyone turned to her. "Isan?" Sahra repeated, confused.

"Do you know Isan, Sahra?" Eizen asked her. "He's the Lord of the Land for this area."

"He's also Edna's boyfriend," Zaveid smirked.

"He is not my boyfriend," Edna stated, wondering just how obvious the unspoken 'yet' was at the end of her sentence. _Maybe he should be._ "But the Bors Ruins are within his domain, and we made sure he was strong enough to resist Niko's power before we left. How could there be this many hellions this close to Marlind?"

"Maybe Niko went back for the holy tree?" Sadie suggested.

"There's still a blessing for this area," Sahra said remarked. "I don't think he's been corrupted."

"He wasn't before, either," Eizen informed her; "it was his vessel that was being destroyed by Niko's power." He met Edna's gaze and nodded at her. "Let's check on Isan before we head for the Lefay Shrine."

"You don't think Niko's making a move for Ladylake?" Sadie inquired.

"She can't be," Zaveid stated with certainty. "Nothing can break the barrier I helped set up, not even if she'd been working at it since we left, which we know she hasn't been. It's more likely she wanted to pull something in Marlind."

"Then that's where we'll go," Eizen stated. "Come on, everyone."

As all four seraphim retreated within Eizen's chest, Lucine asked, _Barrier?_

_Zaveid, Maotelus, and the Lord of the Land for the area, Uno, worked together to set up a barrier around Ladylake to keep the Lord of Calamity from getting in,_ Edna told Lucine.

_And nothing can break it,_ Zaveid added.

Eizen started running through the forest that housed the ancient ruins, Sadie right behind him.

_Um…Shepherd Eizen?_ Lucine asked timidly. _Please forgive me for my rash decision. Edna's right; I shouldn't have leapt into that battle. I made a horrible mistake._

"I'm glad you did, Lucine," Eizen responded firmly. "We could've wasted an entire day avoiding a fight that could have been won, and who knows what Niko might have accomplished in that time?"

_Still, it was a terrible risk, one I should not have taken,_ Lucine stated, and the amount of guilt coming from her place in Eizen's chest seemed excessive to Edna. _I'll try to be more careful in the future, but…I did warn you that I would make mistakes…_

_Seriously, angel, calm down,_ Zaveid told her. _It all worked out for the best, and there's no sense dwelling on it. Not to mention you kicked some serious ass. I'm glad to have you as my Sub Lord._

Rather than flirting or flattering, his tone seemed to suggest that he really meant every word he was saying, and Edna frowned to herself. _Not to mention calling her "angel" again,_ she thought privately. _He never even called Sahra that, and she was the Fire Angel…_

_T-Thank you,_ Lucine stammered in response to Zaveid's words, as though no one had ever said anything nice to her before. _It was still a terrible risk, though, a terrible mistake; __I've never been able to unleash my powers like that, since I couldn't purify malevolence on my own, so I didn't really know what I could do. I'm glad I was able to fix my own error…but I still shouldn't have acted. It's my fault you got hurt._

_You're the one who healed me, too,_ Zaveid pointed out, _with an end result of a lot less malevolence in the world. Stop beating yourself up, sweetheart, you did good._

Raw embarrassment radiated from where Lucine rested, and she didn't speak again; clearly, the water seraph didn't know how to take praise. _Weirdo,_ Edna thought privately.

Outside the forest, there were more hellions that hadn't been affected by Lucine's Mystic Arte, but they didn't seem particularly numerous or strong. For once, Eizen and Sadie avoided fights, focusing on getting to Marlind as fast as possible. The gates were locked, and a row of bow-wielding guards rose from the top of the wall when Eizen pounded on the door.

"Identify yourselves!" barked a voice.

"Jason, it's us!" Eizen called, and Edna was mildly impressed that Eizen had remembered the leader's name. "Eizen and Sadie!"

"Shepherd?" came the guard's voice. "You've returned?"

"Yes," Eizen nodded. "Is everything alright here?"

"All is well," Jason replied, and all six adventurers blinked in surprise. "What do you need of us?"

"We need to see the Lord of the Land," Eizen replied. "Is that okay?"

"Of course. Open the gates!" Jason barked, and the doors to Marlind groaned open. Barely managing to call out a thanks, Eizen dashed across the threshold, hurrying for the holy tree with all the speed Zaveid's power could give him. As soon as they reached the clearing before the enormous tree, Edna emerged, and the other seraphim manifested behind her.

"Isan!" she shouted, charging for the nearest root; at the back of her mind, she noticed that the flowers growing there looked much healthier than they had before. "Isan, are you here?"

The guardian fire seraph of Marlind emerged, his delicate face frowning with concern at being called on…at first. Then his eyes landed on Edna, and the corners of his mouth lifted, a light sparking in his amber eyes. "Lady Edna," he breathed as she ran up to him. "You've returned."

"Are you okay?" Edna asked, trying not to sound too worried.

"Yes, I am quite well," he replied with a nod. "The Lord of Calamity has not come to us since you left."

"But…" Edna trailed off, heat prickling in her cheeks as she turned to look at her comrades, all of whom, she was relieved to see, appeared equally confused.

"Guardian seraph Isan," Eizen said at last, stepping forward, "we're here because we came across a tremendous number of hellions in the forest housing the Bors Ruins, and we were concerned that such malevolence could exist within your domain."

"Yes," Isan frowned, "the Bors Ruins. The Lord of Calamity has concentrated a terrifying amount of malevolence on that area in recent weeks. I have done my best to mitigate the damage, but to weaken the hellions that were birthed as a result was all I could do. Thank you for quelling that nest, it is a relief to no longer have that vat of malevolence in my domain."

"Weaken?" Edna repeated in a whisper, her seraphic blood running cold. "But then…"

"It wasn't a decoy," Eizen breathed. "It was a deathtrap."

"Now hold on," Zaveid spoke up, "Niko doesn't want to kill you, she said as much last time we ran into her."

"Maybe it's like Lady Sahra said, and she was trying to rout us into Glaivend Basin," Sadie suggested.

"Either way," Edna inserted, turning a sharp glare on Lucine, "we shouldn't have been able to win that fight."

Lucine looked horrified; her eyes glistened with tears. "Please forgive me," she whimpered. "I…I nearly doomed us all. I'm so sorry."

"Settle down, angel," Zaveid told her gently. "You didn't doom us, we're all okay, and now there are a lot less hellions in the world."

"Yeah, let's look on the bright side!" Sahra concurred, smiling. "Not only did we clear out a ton of malevolence, but Niko doesn't have some big plan that she was trying to keep us from interfering with. Ladylake is safe, everything in Hyland is as safe as it can be, it's all good!"

"Sahra's right," Eizen agreed with a relieved sigh. "We escaped the trap my sister was trying to set for us, and we don't have to worry about what she might do next."

"Today was one day when there would have been some harm in being cautious," Sadie stated. "We probably shouldn't take that kind of risk in the future, but it worked out for the best this time."

"But I acted rashly, and nearly killed the world's only hope," Lucine insisted, still tearful, as though she couldn't see anything but her own faults. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Apology accepted already, angel," Zaveid said. "No harm done. Lighten up."

But the water seraph grasped her left forearm in her right hand, which Edna took as a more ladylike way of hugging herself. _She should feel bad, but not _this_ bad…_

"Look," Eizen sighed, "it's getting late - Lamorak Cave took longer to get through than I would have liked. Let's rest at the inn here and go to the Lefay Shrine in the morning. Lucine, we'll explain to you everything that's going on over dinner, okay?"

"As you wish," Lucine nodded.

"Ahem…"

Everyone turned at the sound of a man clearing his throat, and were surprised to see Isan blushing faintly as he took a step closer to Edna.

"Lady Edna," he began, "if you are going to spend the night here in Marlind, then…would you do me the honor of dining with me?"

Edna blinked. She vaguely remembered saying she wouldn't say no if he asked her out to dinner, but for him to actually do so was something else entirely. _Then again, what's the alternative?_ she thought. _Go over the whole story of the Rangetsu-Crowe family yet again while Zaveid and Lucine make eyes at each other the entire time?_ For Zaveid seemed entirely occupied with gazing at the water seraph, not the same way he had before - more confused than desperate - but still as though he was mesmerized, to the point where he hadn't reacted to Isan's proposal at all; and Lucine, though still tearful, was meeting his gaze with what Edna could only interpret as wistful longing. If this was how it was going to be with Lucine on the team, the choice was a no-brainer.

"Of course, if you'd rather stay with your companions-"

"I'd be happy to have dinner with you," Edna told Isan, cutting off his embarrassed babble and favoring him with a smile. "Lead the way."

Isan extended his elbow like a gentleman, and Edna placed her fingers on his forearm as he led her away from the group she'd been traveling with. Never had she thought she would be so relieved to be separated from her baby brother, even for a moment, but if spending time with Eizen meant watching Zaveid and Lucine interact, she'd much rather go on a date with someone who actually paid attention to her.

~o~

There was, of course, only one place for an adventurer to get dinner in a village as small as Marlind: the inn. The Shepherd's team would be there eventually, but for now, Edna and Isan approached the counter alone.

"Pardon me," Isan said to the innkeeper. "Lady Edna and I wish to dine."

"Lady Edna?" the human repeated, looking down at Edna with surprise that seemed to border on alarm. "This is your date? Um…Lord Isan…with all due respect-"

"We're seraphim, dummy," Edna growled. "Don't let our appearances deceive you; I'm actually much older than he is."

"Appearances are not the same for seraphim as they are for humans," Isan said firmly. "Please, do not insult my lady again."

"O-Of course," stammered the innkeeper, though she was blushing heavily. "My apologies. Follow me."

Tucked away in a corner of the dining area was a small, two-person table set aside from the rest of the room, decked out in a white tablecloth and a couple of candles in shiny metal holders. Edna stared as the innkeeper placed two menus on the table and lit the candles, Isan pulling out one of the chairs for her.

"Did you plan this?" she asked the Lord of the Land.

"I hope it wasn't too presumptuous of me," he replied apologetically as she took her spot and he pushed the chair under her before walking around to take his own seat, "but I…well, I confess, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you left."

Edna couldn't completely resist the urge to blush, though she kept her face as expressionless as she could. Still, the gesture warmed her heart, in ways nothing had since her older brother had abandoned her to live alone atop Rayfalke. _I should have thought of Isan more, myself,_ she reflected, feeling slightly guilty.

"Lady Edna, do you…mind if I ask you something?" Isan queried.

"You can ask," Edna shrugged, glancing through her menu. "It doesn't mean I'll answer."

"You…mentioned, on the day you saved the holy tree, that you are older than Maotelus," he began slowly.

She glanced up at him sharply. "Are you going to ask how old I am?" she demanded.

"No, of course not!" Isan exclaimed, lifting his hands. "I wouldn't dream of such a thing! I was merely wondering…if you don't mind my asking…why you chose to stay this size, rather than mature further?"

"Does my size bother you?" Edna asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not at all," he replied. "I know full well that a seraph's appearance holds no bearing on what sort of woman she is - my mentor was a normin, and she was one of the most mature and wise ladies I've ever known. In fact, you rather remind me of her…" He shook his head. "Forgive me," he said; "you needn't answer my question if it's too personal. I was just curious."

A man who didn't judge her for her size. Edna had known, of course, that he'd had had a crush on her when she left, but she'd never really given him - or anyone - that kind of credit before. Something stirred in her chest, an odd sensation of…belonging? Relief? In any case, she decided to explain her choice, more fully than she ever had to anyone before.

"I was born on top of Rayfalke Spiritcrest, about two thousand years ago," she told Isan. "When I came into being, I was taken in by another earth malak. From the moment I manifested, he and I both knew that we were brother and sister. He raised me, looked after me, and I lived with him for years…but…" She sighed. "Have you ever heard of something called the Reaper's Curse?"

"As it just so happens, I have," Isan nodded. "A terrible blessing, one that brings naught but misfortune upon the bearer and everyone around them."

"Yeah…my brother had it," Edna explained. "Living with me put me in danger. Between that and the fact that he was always adventure-crazy, as soon as I was big enough to stand on my own, he…he left me." She turned her gaze to the tablecloth, remembering. "He just up and left, one day, without so much as a goodbye. I only saw him once after that, but as soon as he showed up, a horde of hellions attacked and nearly killed us, and he didn't try again. He always sent me letters, and little trinkets he found while exploring the world, but…it wasn't the same." She turned in her seat and held out one booted leg. "Before he left, the last things he ever gave me were these boots - they used to be his, but he refitted them to match my shoe size. If I let myself get any bigger, either I wouldn't fit into them anymore, or they'd grow with me, and then they wouldn't be his anymore, they'd just be…mine. I guess staying this size is my way of keeping him alive," she concluded, settling back in her chair.

"Alive?" Isan repeated. "What became of your brother?"

"About a thousand years ago, he turned into a dragon," Edna answered. "A little over five hundred years ago, while I was traveling with Shepherd Sorey, I helped the team…lay him to rest."

"Oh my," Isan breathed, his amber eyes wide. "That's terrible. Lady Edna, I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine how painful that must have been for you."

He really seemed like he meant it, and Edna glanced away, trying to shrug it off. "It's not so bad," she said tonelessly. "He was already dead, really, we just…set him free. I don't have to worry about him anymore, whether he's scared or in pain or knows what he's doing. He can rest in peace now."

"Yes," Isan sighed, "I am sure he is relieved to be free of such a horrible fate. But still, family is an especially precious thing for a seraph, few of us get to call anyone our family; to lose someone so close to you in such a terrible way…well, it speaks volumes to your strength that you yourself have not succumbed."

The respect in his gaze as he looked at her was like nothing anyone had ever directed at Edna before - until now, the only respect she'd ever gotten had been a sort of surprised respect, that such a small seraph could be so strong, so powerful, so smart. But Isan didn't look at her that way. He looked at her as though she was…well, as though she was much older, wiser, and more powerful than him, regardless of her appearance, which she was.

Desperate to change the mood, she said, "So you had a mentor who was a normin, huh?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Normin Skohlur. She was the Lord of the Land in a village to the north, near where I first manifested a little over a thousand years ago, and gave me guidance for most of my life before I came south. She was…well, how do I describe her…?"

"Wait," Edna smirked, "let me see if I can do a perfect impression of her before you even try." Schooling her face into its usual, completely neutral position, she took a breath. "Sigh…Siiiiiiiigh…Oh," she mumbled.

Isan barked a laugh. "Yes, that's exactly how she was!" he confirmed, smiling radiantly. "Did you know her?"

"I know _of_ her," Edna shrugged. "Her name was Grimoirh, right? She was friends with my brother during the fall of Innominat."

"Friends with - ? _Oh_!" Isan gasped. "Your brother was _that_ Reaper?"

"Yup," Edna chuckled. "Small world, huh?"

"I should say so," Isan remarked.

"And that's not all," Edna went on; "my brother and Grimoirh were also friends with the current Shepherd's parents…in fact, my brother's name was Eizen, too, and Shepherd Eizen was named after him."

"Parents?" Isan repeated. "Is the Shepherd not human? I didn't think humans lived that long…"

"They don't," Edna said, "but Velvet and Rokurou were hellions for centuries. Velvet was the one who sealed Innominat away…" Though she had cringed at the thought of telling this story again to Lucine, something about Isan made her want to talk about her family, the people she'd known who had shaped the world, and she found herself outlining the whole tale as a waiter took their orders and dinner was eventually brought out.

"I heard the first part of that story from my mentor several times," Isan said when Edna finished, "but I never dreamed it would have an ending like the one you just described!"

"It's not over yet," Edna pointed out; "Velvet and Rokurou's children are the Shepherd and the Lord of Calamity."

"Indeed," Isan sighed, "much as Velvet and Shepherd Artorius were family. A terrible thing it is, for family to be pitted against family so."

_"__The circle of destiny turns once more…"_ Morgrim's words came back to Edna then. _Was this what she meant?_ "I mean, Velvet and Artorius were in-laws," Edna dismissed; "I'm not sure if that's the same thing, really. Of course, I don't know much about human society."

"You've been living with them," Isan pointed out as he cut into his salmon.

"Yeah, but our family are a bunch of weirdos who lived out in the eastern forest," Edna shrugged. "It's not like being Lord of the Land or anything. Hey, why did you become the Lord of the Land down here, if you manifested up in the north?"

"Well…it may be rather silly of me, but despite my element, I don't much like the cold," Isan explained, almost sheepishly. "I only stayed near where I was born so that I could learn from Grimoirh, who was studying the subject of Lords of the Land at the time, and taught me everything she knew. She was very studious, as her true name suggested, always in pursuit of knowledge - I expect she's on the far continent now. But once she decided her studies were done, and to abdicate her position as Lord of the Land and move on, I had no reason to stay in the frozen north, so I headed south; I wandered for a while, but wasn't really sure what to do with myself, until I reached this village and met the previous Lord of the Land, Rohan…"

They went on talking, Edna hardly even noticing that her occasional bite of noodles quickly grew cold, exchanging stories and anecdotes about their respective lives as seraphim. For some reason, talking to Isan was easy, easier than talking to anyone else Edna had ever met - even with her older brother, or her baby brother, there had always been some sort of expectation, some pressure to say the right thing, but Isan welcomed her every word without any such pretenses hanging over them. It shouldn't have been surprising for a Lord of the Land, a seraph whose job it essentially was to listen to human whining day in and day out, yet it _was_ surprising for someone to treat Edna like her words really mattered. Isan treated Edna like she was an adult - and not just an adult, but _the_ adult, as though he were nothing but an ignorant child not worthy of her time. Instead of feeling smug, though, Edna felt a little embarrassed; the more they talked, the clearer it was that Isan was just as deserving of respect.

Well, almost.

Somewhere in the room, the rest of the Shepherd's crew came in, ate dinner, talked, and went to bed, and Edna barely even registered their presence; Isan gave her all of his attention, and she was more than happy to give him all of hers in return. Eventually, some time after dessert had come and gone, Isan began to reveal that he had a sense of humor - a mild, tame one, but one that Edna appreciated a lot more than Zaveid's bold-faced awfulness, and her date actually managed to make her laugh a few times. All thoughts of her duty as Sub Lord, the troubles of her family, the fights she had yet to face, just melted away, and there was only Isan, and her, alone together in their little corner, the rest of the world a mere mass of distant noise. Edna never wanted it to end.

"Pardon me," Isan eventually said to a staff member who happened to be passing by, "but would you tell me the hour? I seem to have lost track of time…"

"It's…long after midnight, Lord Isan," the girl stammered.

"Wait what?!" Edna exclaimed, shocked.

"My word!" Isan gasped. "I've neglected my duties for far too long!" He turned to her. "Edna, if you'll please excuse me-"

"No, no, I should get going too," Edna said quickly, standing up. "We have a trial to take tomorrow, and I need to be rested."

But as they both left their table and the candles that had been replaced…how many times, Edna wondered? Three?…neither of them wanted to separate.

"I'll walk you home," Edna told him after a brief moment of awkwardness at the door to the inn.

"I would be honored," Isan bowed, and they left together.

Outside, under the occasional star twinkling through a thin cloud cover, neither seraph spoke, not wanting to disturb the humans who slumbered around them, but they didn't need to say anything. Just walking with Isan left Edna feeling content, happy, and she hated the sight of the holy tree as they approached the vessel the fire seraph lived in.

"Well…good night, Edna," Isan said, turning to face her. "I had a wonderful evening."

"Me too," Edna told him. "I…I hope we get to do this again sometime."

"As do I."

They looked at each other for a moment, and for the first time all night, Edna felt some sort of pressure to…do something. Like there was something that was being left unsaid, and she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't say it. But…

"Isan," she said abruptly as he turned to his vessel at last.

"Yes?" he asked, turning back.

Edna hesitated for only another moment, then jogged up to him, summoning the earth beneath her feet to lift her up so she would be high enough, and pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back, gently, tenderly placing his arms around her slender frame, and Edna felt a wave of contentedness, of completeness, like nothing she'd ever known.

After a moment, they pulled apart, just a bit, just enough to look into each other's eyes in the faint light of the nighttime, light that would be too dim for humans but didn't affect them at all.

"_Edna_," Isan murmured, uttering her name with more reverence than most people even spoke of Maotelus.

In response, she kissed him again, weaving her fingers through his short, scarlet hair and pulling him closer. Again, his lips returned her pressure, opening and closing against hers, gently, lovingly. Sweet, warm happiness swirled through Edna's body, washing away all her worries and fears, and she reveled in this moment, a moment she would cling to through the horrors to come, horrors that seemed so small and far away just now.

When at last they broke apart again, she was surprised to find her breath coming a little hard. "I'll come back," she told him. "I promise I'll come back to you, Isan."

"I will count the days until you do, my dear Edna," Isan said, taking her hands in his gently. "But please…do not rush your duties for my sake, I would not want you to return prematurely. Promise me…promise me you will not come back until your task is done, and all is well. If you only think of me during your journeys to come in the meantime, that will be more than enough."

"I will think of you," Edna vowed. "And I promise I won't come back until we can spend all the time we want together without any burdens weighing on us. But as soon as everything's taken care of, I will come back. I promise you this, Isan, by my true name…Hephsin Yulind."

"Hephsin Yulind," Isan repeated, speaking the words like a prayer. "My dear Edna…my true name is Fowhask Ekav."

True name exchange was a powerful thing between seraphim - an unbreakable bond, a vow of absolute trust, more intimate and sacred than humans could ever imagine. Edna had never thought she would have such an exchange with anyone besides her older brother, but somehow this felt even deeper than that.

"Fowhask Ekav," Edna said softly. "I'll come back to you someday."

"Good night, Hephsin Yulind," Isan told her. "Sleep well, and stay safe."

"You too," she told him.

With that, he vanished to rest within his vessel, leaving Edna alone on a short pillar of earth, which she quickly returned to the ground, leaving no trace behind. She was less quick to turn her back on the holy tree and walk down the path to the inn, but eventually, she did so. Below her, the earthpulse flowed, and she knew that, no matter what happened next, what she had just shared with Isan would be immortalized in the Earthen Historia forever; above her, the clouds thinned, and the twinkling stars also bore witness to the love blossoming for a seraph far older than her face suggested. It felt like some sacred secret that every unseen, silent entity in the world had committed to memory but would never tell, and Edna felt light, as though she could fly.

Eventually, she reached the Marlind inn, and was surprised to see Sahra waiting beside the doorway, her crimson hair bright against the dark wood of the building - had Sahra been there when Edna had left with Isan?

"Hey, Edna," Sahra said as Edna approached, a knowing smirk on her face. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes," Edna answered simply. "But I'm tired now."

"Well, if you go into the hall with the rooms, the one on the right at the far end of the hall is the boys' room, next to that is you and Lucine's room, and then my and Sadie's room is just to the right of that," Sahra told her.

"Ugh," Edna grumbled. "Can I take your room instead? I'm surprised I can't hear Zaveid and Lucine out here."

"Huh?" Sahra blinked, then smiled and shook her head. "Actually, Zaveid's sharing a room with Eizen. Lucine's alone."

"Really?" Edna asked, surprised.

Sahra laughed. "I know, right?" she chuckled. "I kept waiting for him to make a move, but he never did. Actually…" Her smile faded, and she started fiddling with her braid. "It was kinda weird. Over dinner, they kept looking at each other - like they have been since we met her, you know? But then…I don't know, something weird happened, and it was suddenly like Zaveid was trying to look at anything _but_ her." She shrugged. "Maybe he realized she's too good for him - I mean, she's _really_ sweet. Kinda hapless, like we saw earlier, but she's got a really soft, gentle heart."

"It's not like Zaveid to avoid taking advantage of a vulnerable woman," Edna remarked. "Did something happen?"

"Well…now that you mention it…" Sahra mused, her free hand going to her jaw. "It was…right after we explained that the Lord of Calamity was Eizen's sister. She actually cried for Eizen, weird as that is, like, shed an actual tear - she literally just met us, but she seemed really upset to know that she was helping Eizen fight his own sister. It was right after that that Zaveid started acting weird around her."

"Huh," Edna responded tonelessly. "That _is_ weird…"

"Now, enough about Zaveid and Lucine," Sahra said, suddenly smiling again. "Tell me all about you and Isan! How did your date go? Do you like him?"

Though the crescent moon was faint, a sudden shaft of light seemed to catch Sahra's green eyes and make them shine for a moment. "Yes," Edna replied, "I really do like him. A lot. In fact…it kind of bothers me how much I like him."

"Bothers you?" Sahra repeated. "Why would it bother you?"

"Because…" Edna hesitated as Sahra's eyes seemed to flash again. "I don't know…I don't need a man to be happy or…or anything like that."

"Of course you don't!" Sahra said cheerfully. "None of us _needs_ a man - or woman, in my case. But, you know, if we happen to _want_ one, and they like us back, it's always nice. It's about what you _want_, Edna, not what you _need_."

"What I want," Edna repeated, and she glanced to her right, in the direction of the holy tree. "That kind of bothers me too, because…I…I think I might want to grow for him."

"Holy crap!" Sahra exclaimed, her grin positively splitting her face. "This is really serious! Does your size bother him?"

"No," Edna answered, "he doesn't care about a woman's appearance - his mentor was a normin. But…I think it might bother _me_ a little. I had to use seraphic artes just to get in a position to kiss him."

"You _kissed_ him?!" Sahra squealed.

"Yeah," Edna shrugged, trying to act casual. "A couple of times. It was…" _Amazing. Heavenly._ "…nice. But it kind of bothered me that I was so small."

"Hmm." Sahra tilted her head, one gloved hand again going to fiddle with her braid. "In my experience, there are two reasons a guy would make a girl want to change," she said at last: "Either he makes her feel ashamed of who she is and she wants to be someone different to make him happy, or he makes her want to better herself and improve who she is to make herself happy. You should probably figure out which this is before you act on it."

"I wasn't going to make any decisions anytime soon," Edna grumbled. "Look, I'm tired, all right? We have a trial tomorrow, and I don't want to be all grouchy for it."

"Get some sleep," Sahra said, nodding and stepping aside. "Sorry to bother you, I just…I'm excited for you, you know? This is really big!"

"Yeah," Edna muttered. "Good night."

"Good night," Sahra responded. "Oh, actually, wait!"

"What?" Edna growled, turning back.

Sahra was fiddling with her braid. "Sorry if this seems random, but talking about love and stuff reminded me of something," she said. "Sadie told me that there's a law against arranged marriages in Hyland, and that it was Rose - the one who desecrated Master Rokurou's teachings to form the Scattered Bones - who put that law into place. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Edna replied slowly. "Yeah, Rose put that law in place."

"May I ask…why?" Sahra questioned. "The founder of an assassins' guild shouldn't care so much about what's right."

"It was a personal thing for her," Edna told the fire seraph. "Her friend Alisha agreed to an arranged marriage with some jerk chosen for her by the Rolance Emperor to strengthen the bond between the two nations or something, and the guy she was forced to marry treated her like trash. Rose kept hoping that Alisha would put in a contract to have him killed, but Alisha wasn't that kind of person, she just put up with it, even though she was emotionally damaged by the time he finally died of old age; so instead, Rose decided to see that law made, as the only thing she could do, so no one else would end up like that." Edna scowled. "Of course, people like the Halloways can always find ways around the law…"

"I see," Sahra said thoughtfully, fiddling with her braid again. "Thank you for explaining that to me, things seem clearer now. Please, go get some rest, I'm sorry for keeping you," she added quickly.

"Good night," Edna mumbled, too tired to even muster a bite to her voice, and she went in at last.

Opting not to bother the human she still didn't particularly like, Edna chose to take the room she was supposed to share with Lucine. The water seraph was lying on her side on top of the blankets of her bed, her back to the room, only her spear and her blue-ribboned sandals - which, Edna noticed distantly, lacked heels - lying by her bedside. Edna took off her boots, her glove, and her headband, and placed them and her umbrella at her own bedside before crawling into bed herself. Her being still hummed with energy, though, and she wasn't sure she could sleep.

_Isan. Fowhask Ekav, Isan of Pure Faith._ As confused as she was over her ideas for where they might go from here, Edna couldn't deny that she felt happy, truly happy, happier than she could ever remember feeling. Curling up in her bed, she decided to just set aside all her worries and enjoy it. Was this love? Being in love had never appealed to Edna, but if this was what it was like…

"Edna?"

The sudden, drowsy voice startled Edna from the beginnings of slumber. "Yeah?" she asked Lucine.

"I'm glad you're happy," the water seraph mumbled sleepily. "Truly I am. But could you please…keep it down a little?"

"Keep it down?" Edna repeated, baffled. "I didn't say anything!"

"Oh." Lucine jolted, apparently in surprise. "Yes, of course, I…Never mind, I'm sorry. Forget I spoke."

_Weirdo,_ Edna thought, glaring at her. But even as she glowered at her new comrade, something suddenly occurred to Edna: the way Isan had looked at her when he told her his true name was the same way Zaveid had looked at Lucine when she was purified. _Weird as she is, Lucine really is the luckiest break we could have gotten,_ Edna realized._ She's not just a water seraph capable of fighting, she could be exactly what I wished for the night before we left Ladylake: something to make Zaveid not hate being alive anymore. Even if it is just because she looks like someone from his past, maybe…maybe I could find a way to use that to give him a future. Assuming he doesn't do something stupid and gross and screw it up…_

That, she thought, turning over and surrendering to sleep at last, would be a much taller order than anything she would ever have to face with Isan.

* * *

**If you'll indulge me for a moment, I'd like to explain how Cleansing Tsunami would work in gameplay: my idea is that it would do more damage and have a larger blast radius depending on how many enemies there are and how weak the target is. Say for example you found yourself wandering the starting area of the game after spending time in more high-level areas, and you didn't have a way to instantly negate battles, and some enemies came running after you and were faster than you, and it just so happened that two of them touched you at once, leading to a "dangerous encounter"; in that case, casting Cleansing Tsunami would be an instant victory, defeating even the foes not yet spawned in. On the other hand, using Cleansing Tsunami against a high-level boss with no adds would do about as much damage as a regular attack. It would be a very gimmicky, situational Mystic Arte, but something like that would have made certain points in Tales of Zestiria at least five percent less aggravating to go through, am I right? Plus, it would be EXCELLENT for farming grade if you're trying to level up a weapon that you don't actually want to use for important fights.**

**ALSO, while we're on the subject of my water seraph: one hundred internet points and/or a shoutout to the first person to correctly guess Lucine's true name! _You have to guess her actual true name to win, not her identity._ Offer does not apply to penname "alphawolf2196", for several reasons. Only a hundred points, because, come on people, this one's easy. And NO, her true name is not "Suijia Kwivdux", or even "Morevu Kwivdux", that would be dumb. (Yes, it turns out that I am aware that Theodora had a true name in Japanese and that it implies she was probably also a wind malak, shut up, her element was never mentioned within Tales of Berseria itself and therefore my ground rules give me free rein to do whatever I want with her memory.)**

**Retroactive A/N: Again, originally the Lord of the Land in Marlind was Rohan, like in Zestiria, but I changed it to an OC for multiple convenience purposes; apologies again to anyone used to Rohan, or anyone who saw any reviews that contained any mention of Rohan.**

* * *

**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of slim, pale fingers in a broad, tanned hand] "Doppelgänger" - Proof that you have the last bit of help you need on your quest. She seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to someone your Prime Lord once knew…What other secrets is she hiding?**


	17. It's Our Heart

By the time Shepherd Eizen went to bed, Edna and Isan were still talking together, and it didn't look like they were going to stop anytime soon. Maybe it was just Eizen's imagination, but he thought he could feel echoes of her happiness through her Sub Lord pact; either way, he was happy for her.

Once he was done cleaning up in preparation for bed, he went into the room on the far right end of the hall, unbuckled his katana, took off his cloak, gloves, tunic, and boots, untied his short ponytail, and sat cross-legged on the bed he'd chosen of the two, cupping his hands into a circle in front of his navel as he thought over the most recent events. They had a water seraph now, and one who could fight - a strange one, but much better than he had dared to hope for just the previous day. Niko's trap had been averted, and his big sis was enjoying a date. He was glad he'd suggested they spend the night here rather than going home to Ladylake just yet - they'd been through a lot on their journey, and for Edna to have something nice was its own reward.

In all, he concluded, it had been a good day. Tomorrow, they would attain the spiritual power of water and face Niko and her minions, but though he was nervous, he wasn't worried anymore. Sighing contentedly, he emerged from his trance, and was just getting under the blankets when the door to his room opened and Zaveid's boots clicked across the floor.

"Uncle?" Eizen asked. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you're still awake, huh kiddo?" Zaveid remarked, taking off his hat and setting it on his own bedside table. "I thought I'd test the waters and see if I could score myself a little celebration for finding the last bit of help we need, but I struck out."

"Struck out?" Eizen repeated.

"Yeah…" The wind seraph shrugged, then stretched before unbuckling his weapons. "It's my own fault, really. I spent so much time on the prowl around here when I was waiting for a World Tree Leaf to grow for Cellie, all the ladies in this town are either too tough to crack or been there, done that. But hey, maybe I'll have better luck in my dreams."

Eizen stared at Zaveid with a bemused smile as his uncle kicked off his boots and rolled onto the bed he'd been left with. "You know, uncle," he remarked, "I think I kind of hate you for being the reason I have any idea what you're talking about."

Zaveid chuckled. "Hey, the whole family always knew I was gonna be the one to teach you about the less wholesome things in life," he smirked. "Besides, you're not gonna stay all pure and innocent forever."

"I'd rather stay pure and innocent than turn into someone like you," Eizen retorted fondly.

"Says the kid who was up all night celebrating his youngest sister's birthday, woke up after maybe an hour to find his house on fire, was attacked by his other sister after she turned into the Lord of Calamity, left his father behind to fight his sister, dragged his mother halfway across the kingdom, watched his mother have a complete mental breakdown right in front of him, and yet still wanted to go to school the next day," Zaveid countered. He turned his head to grin at his nephew. "Come on, kiddo, you're always so serious. Lighten up a little. Today's lucky streak might have run dry for me, but maybe it hasn't for you - go knocking on the room two doors down and see if you can't make a move on Sadie."

"She and Sahra are probably having their usual late-night talk," Eizen pointed out.

"Oh, I'm sure Sahra won't mind," Zaveid dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You know it's mainly because of her that Sadie's warmed up in the last week, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to give you two some privacy. Give your girl a kiss and see if she kisses you back. Who knows? You might get lucky."

"I already told you," Eizen groaned, "I can't ask her to marry me."

"Who said anything about marriage?" Zaveid responded, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm just suggesting you go and have a little fun for once."

Eizen shook his head. "Zaveid," he sighed, "can I ask you something?"

"Want some instructions?" Zaveid snickered.

"No, I just…If I actually went and did what you're suggesting I go and do, would you really be proud of me?" Eizen asked. "Or are you only saying this because you know there's no way I ever would?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Zaveid groaned, letting his head fall back on his pillow. "You Shepherd types are always so serious. I feel like I'm trying to advise Sorey all over again - which is funny, because unlike Sorey, at least you actually have interest in women. Well," he amended, "_a_ woman."

"You're avoiding the question," Eizen pointed out. "Why do you always act like this?"

"Can we talk about this some other time?" Zaveid grumbled, and Eizen knew that this was his way of shutting down. "I was just suggesting you lighten up for a change, but you had to go and make it all heavy and meaningful, and I'm not up for that right now."

_Are you ever?_ "Fine," Eizen relented, lying down himself. "Good night, uncle Zaveid."

"Good night, kiddo."

As he rolled onto his side, though, Eizen couldn't completely shove all thoughts of Zaveid's suggestion out of his head. There had been times, growing up, when he'd wished for even a fraction of his uncle's boldness, but now that he was the Shepherd, he was glad he'd practiced restraint and discipline instead. _I can't ask for anything from Sadie,_ he reminded himself, _not even if she is starting to open up. I am the Shepherd. I stand alone._

Instead, he turned his thoughts to what the following day would bring. They would travel north, up through Lakehaven Heights, and take the Water Trial at the Lefay Shrine. The other trials had been hard on all of them, but unless something went drastically wrong, he had no reason to worry they might fail this one, whatever it might demand. He would have to get some practice armatizing with Lucine, though - Lucine had made him and Sadie promise not to speak her true name loud enough for Sahra or Edna to hear even if they did armatize, but that just made practice that much more important: armatizing without shouting the seraph's true name would take work, he needed to be ready to do it right by the time they reached the Water Trial.

After that…though they should probably start searching immediately for Niko and her minions, Eizen hoped he could convince his comrades to stop by Ladylake so he could see his mother and youngest sister again first. They must be worried sick about him by now, or at least his mother must be…He felt bad that she had probably been fretting for days, upset that he hadn't come home. She needed reassurance that everything was okay, that they were set up to finish this ordeal before too much longer and this whole mess would soon be behind them. And maybe, if he was lucky, he'd get to see David again before they set out to hunt Niko down…

David. It seemed like lifetimes since the last time Eizen had thought of his childhood best friend, and he wondered if they would still be friends after all that had happened. Eizen knew he wasn't the same person he'd been the night of Cellie's birthday - he'd seen and done far too much to just go back to the life he'd had before, to be the person he'd been before…but he hoped David would still stand by him, changed as he was. After all, his friend had stood by him without even a second thought when he'd learned of Eizen's family story, there was no reason to think he'd reject him now.

_Maybe I'm not so alone…_

At some point, Eizen must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, sunlight was streaming through the windows, rousing him from what felt like a refreshing slumber. Determined, if nervous about what the day would bring, he got up, cleaned up, and got dressed…and yet still, his uncle hadn't woken.

Eizen looked at the comatose wind seraph across the room as he tied back his shaggy black hair, distantly noting that it was getting a little too long for his liking. In the last few moments, Zaveid had started to move around, yet he still seemed to be asleep. When the Prime Lord began muttering things under his breath, Eizen realized he was dreaming. _Well, at least he waited until after I woke up to start sleep-talking,_ he thought as he crossed the room. Reaching out a hand to shake his uncle awake, Eizen was abruptly frozen in place when one of Zaveid's murmurings came out perfectly intelligible:

"…Theodora…"

_Theodora? _Eizen thought. _That's…his dead girlfriend, right? The one my namesake killed after she turned into a dragon?…He must be dreaming about her,_ he realized. _And if I wake him up…_

"…no…" mumbled Zaveid. "…no, never…never, babe…don't let go…" - or was it "won't let go"? - "…don't leave…I'd never…"

Gritting his teeth, Eizen steeled his resolve. _It's just a dream,_ he reminded himself, _and all dreams end sooner or later - even my mother's dream world ended eventually. Whether I'm the one who wakes him up or not, he's going to have to face reality, and we have important things to do._

"Zaveid," he said, unable to manage a loud voice even as he put a hand on the wind seraph's tattooed arm and shook him slightly. "Zaveid, wake up."

"Hnngh?" Zaveid groaned, turning over.

"Come on, uncle," Eizen said, shaking him again. "I'm sorry, but we have to get going."

Blearily, the Prime Lord opened his orange eyes, blinking a few times in confusion. Eizen winced, anticipating the moment when - and yes, there it was, the sudden, wide-eyed shock of realization, followed by tremendous pain.

"I'm sorry," Eizen whispered as Zaveid sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed.

"For what?" Zavied grunted, pulling his boots on.

_Acknowledging it would probably just make things worse,_ Eizen decided, and he opened his mouth to take back his words when there was a sudden, frantic pounding on the door.

"What's going on in there?!" called a panicked voice that Eizen took a moment to realize belonged to Lucine. "Is everything okay?! What happened?!"

The door shook, and Eizen got worried that she might actually break it down. Before that could happen, he ran over, unlocked the door, and opened it for her. Lucine burst inside, spear in hand, mana glowing under her skin as she prepared a seraphic arte…then looked around in what seemed like confusion, her arte fading.

"Uh…" Eizen felt as bewildered as she looked. "Lucine? Is everything…okay?"

"I should be asking you!" she exclaimed, still looking around the room wildly. "I…I…" Apparently realizing there was nothing to fight, she put her weapon away, her pale cheeks flushing. "I…I thought someone in here was in deathly pain," she told Eizen in a small voice. "I was worried that a hellion had gotten in."

"Um…no," Eizen told her, still baffled. "No, no hellions."

"But then…" Her violet eyes wandered from Eizen to Zaveid, and she gasped. "You _are_ in pain!" she exclaimed, stepping closer to him. "What happened? Is there anything I can do?"

Eizen turned to Zaveid, and was alarmed at the sudden flame of indignation in his uncle's orange eyes.

"You can get the hell out of our room, that's what you can do!" Zaveid shouted, standing up to tower over her. "Who do you think you are, barging in here uninvited?! Get the hell out!" Before she could even respond, he lifted a hand, and white fire ignited in his palm. "Get out, or I'll use my power as Prime Lord to make you!"

"Zaveid," Eizen began, desperately trying to get some sort of grip on the situation.

"I…" Lucine whimpered, her eyes filling and overflowing with tears as she cowered away from the furious wind seraph. "I…I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

And she turned and ran out the still-open door, sobbing. Eizen stared after her, then turned to Zaveid, only to see his uncle fall to his knees, his eyes wide and haunted.

Finally, all was still. Eizen looked at Zaveid, then at the door, then back to Zaveid, completely and utterly bewildered. "What…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, what just happened?" he finally managed to ask.

"Nothing," Zaveid growled, his face shutting down, and he stood up calmly. "Nothing just happened."

"But…" Eizen shook his head again as Zaveid started strapping his weapons back onto his wrists. "But she…somehow she knew you were in pain-"

"She didn't know anything," Zaveid stated in a low voice.

"Uncle," Eizen sighed, "you were talking in your sleep."

Zaveid went utterly still.

"I know you were dreaming about…her," Eizen said, too confused to keep to himself. "Your…you know, Theodora. And then I had to wake you, and you had to remember-"

"Not one more word!" Zaveid snapped, his back still to Eizen, and he finished strapping on his weapons. "Lucine doesn't know anything, and she never will."

"I don't understand," Eizen said helplessly. "I don't understand any of what just happened. Come to think of it, since when do you lose your temper? You never lost your temper with us when we were growing up, not even with Niko, at least not like this…You've lost your temper with Sadie, but I know she's…Wait." He blinked as it suddenly occurred to him. "You've only lost your temper since you became Prime Lord. Is that what you sacrificed?"

"In a way," Zaveid sighed, donning his hat and turning around at last. "My sacrifice means I can't keep my cool like I used to."

"But why…What did you have to get mad about with Lucine?" Eizen asked. "I don't understand."

"And you won't," Zaveid stated. "You can't understand everything in the world, kiddo. Now listen here." He strode up to get right in Eizen's face, his red-brown eyes blazing. "What happened in this room stays in this room. We're all going to move on and act like this morning never happened. You hear me?"

"I…I hear you," Eizen stammered. _But I don't understand,_ he added silently as they left.

Outside, Sadie and Sahra were waiting for them, but Lucine and Edna were missing.

"Where are the others?" Eizen asked Sahra, worried that Lucine might been scared off entirely.

"Lucine's getting Edna," Sahra answered, her weak smile indicating that she knew something was going on, but that Lucine had probably made a request similar to Zaveid's. "We figured we should let her sleep in as long as possible, since she was up so late."

"Up late doing what, exactly?" Zaveid snickered; surprised, Eizen glanced at him, and saw only the carefree uncle he'd always known, with no hint as to his outburst just a couple of minutes earlier.

"Talking," came a slightly grumpy voice from the door to Edna and Lucine's room.

Eizen turned around, and saw his big sis, stone-faced as ever, looking haughtily at Zaveid; behind her, Lucine emerged without a word, her posture timid, her eyes wet, though she didn't make a sound.

"Unlike you, Pig-veid," Edna went on pointedly, "Isan is a proper gentleman."

"Sounds boring to me," Zaveid shrugged. "Let me know when you want a _real_ good time, and I'll give it to ya."

"Keep dreaming," Edna huffed.

Wincing at the mention of dreams, Eizen stepped forward and asked, "Did you have a good time last night, Edna?"

"Sure," Edna replied casually, though Eizen knew her well enough to see that she was radiating with happiness. "Once we're done cleaning up this mess, I'll definitely be coming back to see him again. For now, though, we should head to the Lefay Shrine."

She took her place within Eizen's chest, and the other seraphim followed suit.

"Do you want to say goodbye to him?" Eizen asked, the question aimed at Edna.

_No,_ she replied,_ we said our goodbyes last night, with the understanding that I wouldn't see him again until our job was done._

"Alright then." Eizen made for the door out of the inn, and Sadie followed. Turning his attention to the cool, soothing presence next to his heart, Eizen said, "Lucine, if it's okay with you, Sadie and I need to get some practice armatizing with you before we take the Water Trial."

_Of course,_ Lucine said, her voice as timid as ever but not shaky. _I'm more than willing to help however I can. But…I would appreciate it if you both keep your promise._

"Right," Eizen nodded.

_What promise?_ Edna asked.

"She made us promise not to speak her true name out loud when we armatize with her," Eizen replied, "or at least not to the point where you or Sahra could hear it."

_Are you ever going to tell us what the big deal is with your true name?_ Sahra inquired.

_I hope not,_ Lucine answered.

Everyone waited for the water seraph to elaborate, but she said nothing more. All things considered, Eizen wondered just how worried about his water seraph he should be. _As long as she can fight, there's no need to press her,_ he decided as they left the village, keeping his thought to himself. _Anything else is her business, until she decides to tell us what her deal is._

~o~

Outside Marlind, when they came across more hellions, Eizen thought Lucine's true name, mouthing it only slightly, and found that this worked just as well as saying it out loud: Lucine's essence merged with his flesh readily, distinctly different from the wildness of Zaveid, the stoicness of Edna, and the blazing passion of Sahra; her power sang of calm, of life, of peaceful continuity. Odd, since the water seraph rarely acted even remotely calm.

It turned out the weapon for the water armatus was a bow - this was surprising, and unlike his other seraphim, Lucine seemed to have no idea how to wield her conjured weapon, leaving Eizen to guess on his own. Luckily, it proved intuitive enough, and he was able to launch bursts and blasts of water mana at his foes from a remarkable distance, each arte taking the place of an arrow or several. By the time they got to the Griflet Bridge, Eizen was comfortable armatizing with his water seraph, and he told Sadie to start taking charge, with a few tips to help the Squire adjust.

Finally, they were crossing the bridge that led to the northern Falkewin Hillside. Coming back across the river was just as surreal as crossing it the first time had been - it had only been a matter of weeks since that day, yet everything was different now: Eizen had seen the entire continent, withstood ancient trials of his spirit and met with old friends of his parents, bonded with new seraphim and ended a man's life. Despite all that, Falkewin Hillside looked just the same as it had when he'd come here to ask Maotelus to attend his youngest sister's birthday party, and though it could have been unsettling, the familiarity turned out to be comforting. _No matter what happens, this is still home._

Together, they made their way up to Lakehaven Heights, passing the bridge that led into the city that was still surrounded by a barrier to keep the Lord of Calamity out, where everyone else he knew who didn't serve Niko waited for him. Though he longed to take the detour and visit with his mother, Eizen forged ahead with his Squire and seraphim.

_There's a waterfall around that hill,_ Edna told him as they reached the northern stretches of the area. _You'll have to cross some deep water to get to it, but Silver Wind can carry you across just fine. The entrance to the Lefay Shrine is behind that._

"Got it," Eizen nodded.

Suddenly, a torrent of fire spewed from the cliffside a ways ahead of them, cutting off the path forward. Reflexively, Eizen turned around, but even as he moved, two enormous shapes leapt from the stony heights beyond the fire, and more flames cascaded down in front of him, blocking his retreat. Dragons' wings whipped the air as the two beasts split from each other and began to swoop around overhead, still breathing fire to draw a wide circle on the ground around the Shepherd and his Squire; within five seconds, Eizen and Sadie were trapped. Over the sound of the inferno, Eizen heard Niko's deranged laughter…and yet, he couldn't feel a malevolent domain.

All four seraphim emerged, ready to fight so long as they were able to manifest, and suddenly, the white-horned dragon blasted them with even more fire. Eizen dodged, as did his allies, and somehow this maneuver left all five of his comrades on the opposite side of a new wall of flames from him, sealing them in a small pocket. Then, as Eizen took a step closer to try to reunite with his companions, a loud _thump!_ in the grass behind him stopped him in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around, and was met with the sight of his corrupted father grinning at him, glowing red eyes slitted and radiating with malicious intent.

"Where do you think you're going, son?" the four-armed hellion asked, drawing each of his four ancient blades, daggers in the lower arms, greatswords in the upper. "Did you really think you could dodge us like that? No Rangetsu should run from a fight."

"Father," Eizen breathed, putting a hand to the hilt of his katana; behind him, he heard Sahra whisper something, though he couldn't hear her over the crackling flames.

"You're lucky I still want this to be a fair contest," Rokurou sneered. "Otherwise, I might have convinced Niko to not give you a chance. But even if you are a coward, you're still my son, and we're going to do this the right way."

"A chance?" Eizen looked up at the two dragons hovering overhead, only one of which now bore a rider.

"I am suppressing my domain, dear brother," Niko called from the back of her white-horned mount. "And I will do so for the rest of the day, so long as you follow our rules."

"Traditionally, a fight between a Rangetsu and their parent is one-on-one," Rokurou stated, "but with all this power at my disposal, that's hardly an honorable match. So, we're going to let you pick one seraph to fight with you - _only_ one. If anyone else interferes in this fight, Niko will use her power to cripple you and render all of your seraphim helpless, so make your choice wisely."

"Master Rokurou!" Sahra suddenly called from behind the wall of fire that trapped her with Sadie and the other seraphim.

Rokurou turned his attention to the fire seraph, as did Eizen.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, her normally-cheery demeanor nowhere to be seen; her face was a mask of pain and rage.

"I've seen a lot of seraphim in my time," Rokurou replied. "Jog my memory and maybe I'll tell you."

"Fifteen hundred years ago, the town of Lastonbell was a pioneer village known as Stonebury," Sahra said, her voice deathly calm, though the fists at her sides shook slightly. "Among the raddishbell farmers, there was a little girl, with a good-for-nothing older brother and a mother and a father; she was an heiress to one of the best farms in the area, but she always felt like she wasn't meant to plow the land and raise plants. Something in her life was lacking, and she couldn't understand why she always felt like she didn't belong. One day, a swordsman from a foreign land passed through the village, and as soon as she saw him, that little girl was immediately entranced by the exotic swords he carried, the mysterious air that surrounded him, the strength and glory he radiated. She begged to learn more about him, and he immediately took her under his wing, telling her that she had what he called a 'spark', that her spirit was that of a true fighter. Turning her back on her family and everything she'd been raised to care about, the girl pledged herself as his student, and from that day on, she lived the way of the sword, dedicating every waking moment of her life to his teachings." Sahra stepped forward, until the flames were licking at her face. "He told her she was his finest student, as worthy of the ways of his ancestors as someone not of his blood could possibly be, praised her for her devotion and her discipline, and she lived for that praise, for _him_. Then one day, as the kingdom of Midgand began to separate into two nations, one of the first skirmishes broke out, and the foreign swordsman's body was found dead on the battlefield. It was that girl from Stonebury, now a young woman, who identified his body, and saw all that she'd worked for and lived for crumble away. But he wasn't really dead, was he?" Her lips twisted into a snarl. "No…he abandoned her, faked his death and left her to find her own way, without warning, without remorse, without a goodbye!"

Eizen glanced at his father; the hellion's twisted face bore no shame, but he did seem to recognize the tale.

"So I ask you again, Master Rokurou," Sahra hissed, each word spat out like a sizzling ember from a fire: "Do you remember Sahra Belacqua? _Do you remember me_?!"

"Sahra," Rokurou said, and suddenly he laughed. "Yes, Sahra, I remember you! My very best student, besides my own son of course…I wondered what happened to you! You were reborn as a seraph?!"

"I was," Sahra stated. "And even then, you never revealed yourself to me! You let me think you were dead!"

"Yeah, I was a daemon back then," Rokurou shrugged. "Not nearly as powerful of one as I am now, but immortal. I knew if I didn't fake my death, my students would realize I wasn't human-"

"So what?!" Sahra shrieked. "You think I would have cared about that?! You were my mentor, more of a father to me than my own father ever was! I would have been okay with you being a-"

"Would you?" Rokurou asked, his tone darkening. "To know that the ancient techniques I passed on to you were the techniques of a monster? For the ways of my ancestors to be remembered with such a stain on their legacy would be an outrage, one I couldn't abide. No one could know."

"You _abandoned_ me!" Sahra cried, tears of rage welling in her leaf-green eyes. "When I identified your body, when I thought you were dead, I was _devastated_! I spent the rest of my human life assembling a small guild of people with that spark, the same spark you said I had, and teaching them the Rangetsu style in your honor, trying to build an army that would be beholden to no nation, that could end any war before it began, so no great warrior would be killed by a cheap blow to the head like I thought you were!"

"A guild?" Rokurou asked, perking up. "That assassins' guild that used the ways of my ancestors?! _You_ did that?!"

"_No_!" Sahra shouted. "I founded the Windriders, a guild that fought with honor, as a tribute to your legacy! They turned into the Scattered Bones centuries later, and when I saw what they'd become, I was ashamed beyond measure! Your sacred techniques, used by murderers for hire?! It was an disgrace! I exiled myself to the north, giving up food and sleep and companionship, just using my fire powers to save lives in the hopes that it might make up for all the dishonorable deaths the remains of my guild would cause!"

"At least you recognize the abomination that group became," Rokurou noted. "A gross perversion of the Rangetsu style, to use it kill people who wouldn't see it coming for the right price. Despicable!"

"Yes," Sahra breathed. "Yes, yes, you understand! I knew you would understand! But…" She shook her head, her rage returning. "But I did it for you! I did it to honor your death, because _I thought you were dead_! You let me think you were dead, and I had nothing else without you! I gave up everything for you! Do you even care?"

"I'm proud that you're still faithful to what I taught you," Rokurou said. "But I don't regret faking my death."

"You…" Fully shaking now, Sahra turned to Eizen. "Eizen," she snarled, "if you choose anyone other than me to aid you in this fight, I'll never forgive you! Let me fight him, let me pay him back for abandoning me!"

"Yes, son," Rokurou agreed, "make her your ally. It would be only right: my best student, and my son, and me - a battle truly worthy of the Rangetsu Clan!"

Eizen had known this exchange would happen, and the rage in Sahra's eyes made him worry as much as he had since he'd learned her story. He looked between his father, his allies, and the Lord of Calamity who waited on high, taking in the challenge and its rules. As much as he didn't want to admit it, there really weren't any better options than to do as Niko and his father said…and if he had to have one ally, concerns or not, he would rather it be Sahra. "Okay," he agreed, nodding. "Sahra, come join me. The rest of you…stay back. Don't interfere."

"Are you crazy?!" Sadie exclaimed as the flames parted slightly, granting Sahra access to the arena.

"We don't have a choice," Eizen said gravely. "Niko's power is still enough to overwhelm all of us, since we haven't finished the last trial. We have to follow her rules, or we're all dead."

"You really trust Niko to play fair?" Edna asked tonelessly.

"No," Eizen said, turning back to face his opponent, "but I do trust my father. Even malevolent, his honor defines him, and always has."

Rokurou gave a wicked grin. "At least you know _something_ about our clan," he remarked.

Sahra drew her daggers, her face carved in stony determination, and Eizen drew his katana.

"Do your allies agree?" Niko called from above.

"Of course not!" Sadie exclaimed, and Eizen turned back in alarm to see her drawing her battleax.

"Sadie, please," Eizen begged. "Please, just stay back. We have to do it this way."

"But-" Sadie began.

Abruptly, white fire lit in Zaveid's upraised palm. His expression grave, the wind seraph declared, "Edna, Lucine, as Prime Lord, I'm ordering you to stand down. I will as well. Sadie…" He glanced at the Squire and sighed. "I don't have power over you like I have over my Sub Lords, but if you'd do us all a favor, I'd appreciate it if you stay out of this, too. This fight is family business, and we need to let these three have it out."

"I can always count on you, Zaveid," Rokurou chuckled. "Maybe, once you join us, I'll ride you around instead of Mikleo."

"Only the ladies get to ride me," Zaveid smirked.

Edna, Sahra, and Eizen all groaned reflexively, but the tension didn't leave Sahra's posture even to scorn Zaveid; there was a fire in her eyes, a burning rage that Eizen both hoped would aid the fight and worried would make things all the harder.

"Do you accept our terms, Squire?" Niko pressed.

"I…" Sadie looked at Zaveid…then nodded reluctantly and holstered her weapon. "Yes," she conceded. "I will…stand down."

Niko laughed her unhinged laugh, and the dragons swooped down and began renewing the dying walls of fire that encircled the combatants, as well as the line that separated Eizen and Sahra from their allies. Already, the heat and smoke were choking the air, but Eizen had faced much worse in the Igraine Shrine, and he shoved aside all thoughts and discomfort to focus entirely on his father: _Focus now, think later._

"Vuswos Kakwa!" he declared, raising his left hand, and Sahra's blazing essence merged with his body to form a being more powerful than either of them alone, their weapons giving way to the massive two-handed sword of the fire armatus.

"Quite a sword," Rokurou commented, taking a defensive stance. "But will it be enough? Let's find out!"

Normally, Eizen waited, sizing up his father's position, but this time - when he actually intended to win - he didn't give Rokurou a moment to brace himself before charging forward, both hands gripping the flaming sword tightly. Both he and Sahra expected a dodge, and that was exactly what Rokurou responded with as they swung their weapon, but when they adjusted to follow his movement, one greatsword and two daggers all sang out and deflected their blow, while the remaining greatsword swept towards them, almost too close to be avoided. With the reflexes of a Rangetsu, Eizen changed course at the last moment, leaping out of the way of the great silver-and-black blade, Sahra's power flowing through his muscles as her equally-quick reflexes augmented his own.

There was no time to think, no time to judge, no time to reassess their strategy to fight a monster with four arms; once the first strike was made, Rokurou didn't stop moving, and neither did Eizen. Not since before becoming the Shepherd had he been forced to his limits like this - even General Donovan, though strong, hadn't demanded such speed and precision, the ability to change course on a dime while wielding a weapon longer than he was tall. From a distance, Rokurou's greatswords easily caught and deflected their blows; closer, the Kurogane Daggers moved faster than the eye could see, slicing through air and skin with equal ease.

Still, all his training - and all of Sahra's training on top of that - had not been for nothing. Both she and Eizen knew how his father fought, they knew the Rangetsu style by heart, and though there was nothing in the Rangetsu style about fighting with four arms, Eizen found that if he focused on each pair of arms as a separate foe, he could track everything his father would do and act in accordance. When at last their sword connected with Rokurou's black-and-red skin, knocking the ancient swordsman back, Eizen couldn't help but grin, and he felt Sahra join in the expression.

"Not bad, son," Rokurou growled, still swinging his blades with precision and grace. "I raised you well!"

Eizen didn't respond, didn't have the mental capacity to respond - all his focus, all his energy, was on this one battle, a battle against a truly worthy opponent. It felt like something ingrained in his blood, to give himself entirely to the fight and hold nothing back, a sort of invigorating calmness as his weapon obeyed his thoughts as much as his hands. He knew Sahra felt it too, to a lesser extent, but the stoic intensity of combat left the knowledge at the back of his mind - to know, but not think, only be. He didn't have to remind himself to focus now and think later, he simply _did_, each blow he took and each one he dealt felt and registered but not dwelt upon. There was only the sharp edges of swords, the burning of his fire-imbued muscles, and his father, whom he knew was giving just as much as he was.

_Breathe. Dodge, counterstrike. Backwards flip, take a breath, lunge forward._ All that Eizen was was immersed in the battle, combining fire-based seraphic artes with the Rangetsu style, the techniques of his ancestors, and he knew nothing but each step in the deadly dance that was his contest with his father. Even as his armatized flesh took blows and sustained injuries, the flaming sword felt light as a feather, as did his spirit. Not even the knowledge that his opponent was his father could take away from what he was feeling, a euphoria that felt like flying, like truly _living_. His foe was taking damage, too, almost as much as he was - and for all the power of malevolence, Rokurou Rangetsu was just one man. Standing strong with a seraph merged with his body, Eizen knew that, though it would be close, he would win.

Suddenly, as one of the Kurogane Daggers jabbed Eizen's arm, Rokurou shouted, "Killing slash!"

A dark domain froze time, leaving him helpless as Rokurou's movements blurred, two legendary greatswords slashing into him from all sides.

"With all the power of the darkness…" Rokurou intoned.

Both greatswords crossed behind Eizen's back, pulling him within range of his father's short swords.

"…there is nothing a Rangetsu can't destroy!" his father declared, his lower arms moving too fast to see as innumerable wounds were dealt across Eizen's torso and face.

"_Form 10:_" Rokurou snarled, slashing the daggers in a massive X before raising them up to stab through Eizen's chest, "_Savage __Slaughter_!"

Just as the daggers pierced his skin, Eizen felt the domain of the Mystic Arte break, and he severed the armatus with his fire seraph, leaving the short swords piercing through empty air as he and Sahra burst apart. It was all he could do to stay standing, and he knew his ally felt the same, but as Rokurou stumbled at the sudden lack of resistance, Sahra lashed out with her own daggers, and another domain froze time as she shouted, "Cut them down!"

Fire blazed along her blades, and she slashed with them too fast to see, almost as her opponent had.

"Witness my master's ultimate teachings!" she shouted, twirling around and assaulting the ancient swordsman with his own techniques - the very master of whom she spoke when she wielded her Mystic Arte. "_Blazing Heron_!" She leapt and summersaulted away, leaving a bird-shaped surge of fire erupting from underneath Rokurou's feet.

Rokurou turned on Sahra, his eyes nearly as wide as his grin, thrilled but also shaken, and Eizen lifted his left hand.

"Vuswos Kakwa!"

Sahra dissolved into light and merged with him again, a little potential energy added to their armatization and healing the absolute worst of their wounds, though they were still badly injured. Before Rokurou could reach them again, Eizen drew on the last of their potential power for a Rejuvenation arte:

"Release my spirit! Rhapsody!"

Fire mana filled them, healing them just enough that they could keep going, and they leapt out of the way of Rokurou's next attack without even a split second to spare.

Even though they had very nearly just died, Eizen only felt a surge of energy, of determination, of _joy_, as he fell back into the rhythm of battle, swinging and blocking and dodging, giving his everything to take down the ancient swordsman that had given him life. Never had fighting felt so good, and some savage part of him wanted the battle to last forever.

"You feel it, don't you?" Rokurou grinned wickedly as he caught the flaming blade with his four weapons. "This is the bloodlust of our ancestors. This is what a Rangetsu lives for! You are my son, Eizen! _My son_!"

Eizen only leapt back, freeing his sword, before lunging forward and lashing out again, calm and collected and strong, power like he'd never known filling him. Speed beyond all comprehension backed his next swing, and he managed to connect with his father as overwhelming energy surged through him.

"Lord of Fire!" he shouted, calling on strength he couldn't remember gathering, as a domain froze time and he spun the massive blade that had doubled in size in wide circles, unleashing the full power of the fire armatus. "Crimson flame! May it burn your soul! _Flamberge_!"

The final blast of the Mystic Arte sent Rokurou tumbling to the ground, and the four-armed hellion did not stand up again. His body burning, Eizen watched as Rokurou tried to push himself up, then collapsed onto his stomach, defeated. The flames of purification surged through Eizen and washed over the corrupted swordsman…and nothing happened.

_No._

Horror swept away the ecstasy of battle, and Eizen severed the armatus, freeing Sahra before jogging over to his downed father, his fire seraph right behind him. The black-and-red hellion looked up at them, sheathing all four of his blades before planting his palms on the ground, panting with the effort of staying on his knees.

"Well done," Rokurou said. "You are a true Rangetsu. Now, complete the long-held tradition of the Rangetsu Clan: kill me, and claim my swords for your own."

"Kill you?!" Eizen repeated, taking a step back. "What? No! Dad, I'm not going to kill you!"

"Don't ruin this," Rokurou spat. "This is the way of our ancestors, for as long as our clan has walked this continent. You have defeated me; do not show mercy now. There is no greater honor than to be slain by my own son."

"Honor?" Eizen repeated. "What about me? What honor is there if I kill my own father?"

"It is a _great_ honor!" Rokurou snapped. "This is how it has always been in our family! Each Shigure, leader of the clan, has risen to power by defeating and killing the previous Shigure in combat, their father or their mother. My oldest brother killed our mother to become Shigure, and she killed her father before her, who killed his father before him, who killed his mother before him, all the way back to the ancestor who first came to this continent! This is the greatest aspiration of any Rangetsu, to slay their parent, to be slain by their child; this was what we all lived for! Now kill me!"

_"__Are you not aware of the barbaric ways of the Rangetsu Clan?"_ Morgrim's words came back to Eizen now, words he realized he'd set aside and refused to consider. _I never asked Edna about it,_ he remembered. _I was going to, but I…I guess I just didn't really want to know what the answer might be._ "No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "I'm not going to kill you, dad. I mean, what would I tell mom?"

"Tell her I achieved my greatest dream," Rokurou snarled, "the dream she tried to deny me. She knows this is what I've always wanted, even if she didn't let me act on it all these years."

From behind, Eizen heard Zaveid's voice, and he realized that the flames that had surrounded the battlefield had died down. "You're really gonna put her through that?" the wind seraph asked, walking over to join Eizen and Sahra, Edna right behind him. Distantly, Eizen noticed that Sadie and Lucine were missing, but he shoved the thought aside. "Do you have any idea how upset she was to lose you? Come on, man, just let us purify you so you can go home to your wife."

"My _wife_," Rokurou growled, and Eizen was startled to see a spark of rage in his father's glowing, crimson eyes. "I gave up everything for her. If she really loves me, the least she can do is grant me this. Kill me!" he barked at Eizen. "Kill me already! This is our way!"

"I won't do it!" Eizen sobbed. "I won't kill you, dad!"

Growling with frustration, Rokurou turned his attention to Sahra, who had been standing to the side during this exchange, saying nothing. "Sahra," he hissed, "you understand, don't you? I taught you well enough. If you're so mad that I let you think I was dead, then make me dead - I'd rather it be my son, but you have a claim to that honor too."

"Sahra," Eizen began, but Sahra held out a hand, not taking her eyes off the fallen swordsman.

"Ever since I found out you were still alive, I wondered how you could have left me," she stated. "I wondered what kind of cruel, heartless monster you really were, how wicked of a man you had to be to leave me like that." She shook her head, and then, incredibly, she took a step back, away from him. "Now I know the answer. You're not a man, Master Rokurou; you're nothing but an empty shell, a pitiful husk. I see it now…I see so clearly, what I couldn't see when I was only human. You are empty, and pathetic, malevolence has driven you to nothingness. I will not kill you, Master Rokurou; you're not worth the effort." And she turned her back on him and walked away, stopping beside Zaveid and Edna but not turning back around.

"Fine!" Rokurou shouted at her. "It should be my blood to do it anyway!" He turned back to Eizen. "_Kill me_!" he commanded; from high above, Eizen heard the sound of Niko's hellish laughter. "I know you felt it! I know you felt the bloodlust of our ancestors, I know how much you enjoyed our fight! You are a true Rangetsu! Don't deny yourself the ultimate victory now, son!"

"What victory is there if I kill my own father?!" Eizen exclaimed.

"Just _kill me_!" the ancient swordsman roared.

"Rokurou, _stop_!"

The sudden, unexpected voice caused Eizen to jerk around in surprise. Disbelieving, he watched as his mother ran across the hillside towards them, her gray-streaked black braid streaming behind her head. Within him, he felt Sahra return to her place just below his sternum, as though she wanted to see what happened next but didn't want to give Rokurou the satisfaction of seeing her look back.

"Don't do this!" Velvet shouted. "You promised you wouldn't!"

"Stay out of this!" Rokurou snarled, lifting one hand to draw one of his greatswords and hold it out menacingly in Velvet's direction. "This is Rangetsu business, you have no right to interfere!"

Velvet skidded to a halt just shy of her husband's sword, but she didn't back down. "I'm not scared of you, Rokurou," she said with certainty. "You wouldn't hurt me."

"Try me," Rokurou ground out.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me," Velvet insisted, shaking her head slightly. "I'm home for you, Rokurou, remember? Even when you're twisted and corrupted by malevolence, I'm home for you, just like you're home for me."

"I don't need a home," Rokurou growled.

"But you have one," Velvet said gently, placing a hand over her heart. "You'll always have one, Rokurou. We're home for each other, always have been, since the day we met, and nothing will ever change that."

Eizen held his breath. Whatever happened next, it would be out of his hands, he knew that much.

"Please, don't do this," his mother pleaded. "I know you've wanted this for a long time, but you promised you'd leave that awful tradition behind. Remember? You promised you'd try, for me."

"I gave up everything for you," Rokurou bit out. "A Rangetsu, with a happy, peaceful life, in a happy, peaceful family? Do you have any idea what a disgrace that is?"

"But you _were_ happy," Velvet said. "You were happy to not be alone anymore, to live for something other than killing and dying."

"Happiness is a lie," Rokurou spat. "There is only power and strength, victory and defeat. Nothing else matters to a Rangetsu…and you made me give up all my strength. I could have lived forever, a swordsman of unfathomable power, if not for you. Our daughter gave that back to me, and I wouldn't give it up again for anything but an honorable death!"

"You weren't all-powerful," Velvet pointed out. "Something was always missing, remember? For all your centuries searching for something more, searching for your answer, you never found it. I didn't make you give up being a daemon, you chose it, because you knew there was something you weren't getting. I only…helped you see that. As you did for me."

"I had the power to pull apart a Mana Wheel!" Rokurou sneered. "I had strength beyond imagination! What more could there be in this world?!"

"Your strength didn't pull apart the Mana Wheel, Rokurou," Velvet said softly, and though her voice didn't crack, Eizen saw a tear well at the corner of one golden eye.

"_I_ pulled apart that seal!" Rokurou shouted. "With only my swords, I destroyed a mana construct even Maotelus couldn't touch!"

"No." Velvet shook her head. "Rokurou…there's something I've never told you. Something I've never told anyone. I should have told you, but I…I was ashamed…" She choked, and the tears were streaming down her cheeks now.

Rokurou growled wordlessly.

"When I told you how my dream world ended," Velvet whimpered, "I said that I went to bed prepared for a fishing trip with my sister and my nephew, and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the earthpulse with you standing over me. But…that was a lie. I lied to you, Rokurou. There was something else…something else between my last day in my dream world and the moment I was freed. And that something…was you."

The four-armed hellion blinked, some of the savagery draining from his mutated face.

"You were calling to me," Velvet went on, "begging me to come back, and I heard you. From deep within the darkness, I heard your voice. I thought I was dreaming, but…I followed the sound. I followed your cries, because even from within the seal, you were home for me. I knew you, Rokurou, and I came back to you, because you asked me to. The seal didn't break because of your strength or your swords; it broke because your pleas convinced me to break it. I came back for _you_, Rokurou. Only you."

"I don't believe you!" Rokurou cried. "You're lying!"

"Come back, Rokurou," Velvet said softly, still crying, her expression filled with love. "Come back to the world. I'm not leaving without you."

For some reason, Rokurou gasped, and his outstretched sword began to quiver in the air.

"Come back!" Velvet repeated, raising her voice. "Let this go! Damn it, Rokurou, _come back to me_!"

"Velvet," Rokurou gasped, sheathing his sword as he stumbled to his feet. "Velvet! _Vel_!"

Just behind Eizen, Zaveid gasped, and as Rokurou lurched towards his wife, there was a sudden eruption of silver fire that blazed forth from the palms of the Shepherd's Prime Lord and engulfed the ancient swordsman.

It should have been a beautiful moment; Eizen watched, expecting to see the flames of purification wash over his father and return him to normal just in time for his parents to embrace, reunited and happy. Instead, the seraphic power swirled around Rokurou's form and erupted into a raging inferno, and from within the blaze, he heard his father scream in agony.

"Rokurou!" Velvet cried, reaching a hand forward, only to be blown back by the force of the Silver Flame.

"What the…?" Zaveid grunted, and Eizen turned to see his uncle's outstretched arms shaking, his eyes wide with alarm as the white fire continued pouring out of him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, dear brother."

The mocking, singsong voice made Eizen turn to see Niko standing behind them, her lips displaying rows of sharp teeth in a vicious smile.

"Niko," Eizen growled. "What's going on?"

"Just think for a moment," Niko taunted. "Our father endured for many centuries through malevolence alone. When he was purified, Maotelus used his power to give our father a human body. When I reclaimed our father, malevolence gave him form once again." Her grin widened savagely. "But you don't have either power," she hissed. "Purify him like this, and he'll crumble into dust!"

And she threw back her head and laughed, that hellish, maniacal laugh Eizen loathed to his core.

"Zaveid," Eizen breathed. "Zaveid, stop. Stop!" He reached over and tried to shake his uncle out of his stance, but it was as though the wind seraph were a stone statue.

"I…I can't…" Zaveid ground out.

"Let me do it," Edna sighed, and she took her umbrella in both hands and jabbed Zaveid in the stomach.

Reflexively, Zaveid doubled over, and as he did so, the cascade of seraphic energy was cut off. When Eizen turned back to his parents, he saw the white inferno fade, leaving his father standing there, his clothing and hair and skin all restored to normal, and he began to fall. Velvet took a step to catch him, and Eizen lunged forward.

"No!" he shouted at his mother, bashing into her with his shoulder and knocking her aside. "Don't touch him!"

Rokurou's limp form fell on Eizen, and Eizen was almost relieved to still feel malevolence burning under his father's skin despite his appearance. He slowed the ancient swordsman's fall, cradling the muscular man in his arms as he sank to his knees. His father's head rolled back, the shaggy black hair falling away to reveal a vicious red-and-black mark down the right side of his face, just as it had been before Eizen was conceived.

"Rokurou," Velvet gasped.

"Mom, stay back!" Eizen snapped, trying to drag Rokurou away from his frantic mother. "He's still malevolent, you can't touch him! Zaveid, stop her!"

Zaveid swept forward on a surge of wind, just barely managing to catch Velvet by the arm before she threw herself at her fallen husband.

"Rokurou!" Velvet sobbed, desperately pulling against Zaveid's grip. "Rokurou!"

"There's only one person who can help him," Eizen told his mother solemnly, and she stilled to meet his eyes. "You know who that is. Go to the Ladylake Sanctuary and summon him; we'll be right behind you."

"No," Velvet whimpered. "No, I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving him!"

"Zaveid, take her to the Sanctuary," Eizen told his Prime Lord. "Now!"

"Rokurou!" Velvet wailed as Zaveid pulled her back. "No, I'm not leaving! _Rokurou_!"

"Sorry, babe," Zaveid mumbled as he tossed the distraught woman over his shoulder, and then they were gone, leaving only a gust of wind in their wake.

Eizen turned to Edna, who nodded at him, then twisted around to face his sister, who still stood where she had been, grinning. "Niko," he said softly, "if our father dies, I will never forgive you."

"You'll have no one to blame but yourself," Niko shrugged, spreading her massive crimson claws wide. "If you truly wanted him to live, you would let malevolence keep him; it is only because of your foolish ideals that everyone in this world will die eventually. Is that what you want or not?"

"It's not his time yet," Eizen snapped. "Our father has a lot of life left to live, and if you cost him that, that's on _you_, not me!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Niko snickered.

Praying that he wasn't miscalculating the time it would take for Zaveid to reach the barrier, praying that the gamble he was about to take would pay off, Eizen waited a few more seconds, then closed his eyes. "Hephsin Yulind," he declared.

Edna's power merged with him, and together they formed the weapons of the earth armatus: Giant's Arms. Arms meant for punching, yes, but arms far stronger than what Eizen was gifted with normally, and with these, he scooped his father up against his chest and stood, turning in the direction of Ladylake and lunging into a run.

Immediately, Niko's domain slammed down on him, as he'd known it would, but with the armatus already in place, backed by the blessing of Lord Eumacia, though his other seraphim were suppressed, Eizen was able to retain the strength and form he needed to carry his father, and he forced himself to keep running through the suffocating atmosphere. Though he had suspected it might work this way, it was still a miracle that he was able to stay armatized with Edna, and he thanked Eumacia with all his heart as he pushed himself forward.

"_No_!" Niko shrieked. "Stop them! Fethmus Mioma, Lusrov Rulay, in the name of the First Shadow I command you: _don't let them escape_!"

From above, two dragons roared, and Eizen gritted his teeth - he couldn't fight with the malevolent domain pressing down on him, he knew that, but he couldn't outrun them either. When the dragons tried to cut him off with a wall of flame, he ducked his head and dove through the fire, the burns he sustained negligible compared to what he'd suffered for the Fire Trial, and kept running, clutching his father with all his strength. Fire proving ineffective, the dragons started diving at him, the one that had been Mikleo even landing in front of him. Eizen dodged as best he could, barely scraping out of the way of claws and tails and teeth so close he could feel his mana-imbued clothes catch and tear, yet he didn't slow down. Ladylake was in sight, but it seemed so far away…

Out of nowhere, Sadie suddenly appeared, battleax in hand, and she shouted a war cry at the two dragons assaulting her Shepherd. Despite the domain that sapped at her strength just as much as it did Eizen's, she leapt forward, bashing her weapon against the white-horned dragon that had been Lailah just before it managed to knock Eizen to the ground with its tail. Confused by the new arrival of someone they also considered an enemy - and therefore one of the people Niko would mean by "they" - the dragons faltered, and Eizen pushed ahead of them, barely managing not to stumble as he darted down the hillside.

Though the massive beasts didn't stop trying to pursue him, Sadie slowed them down just enough that Eizen was in no danger, and after several painful minutes, he at last plunged through the barrier that surrounded Ladylake, leaving the domain of the Lord of Calamity behind. Within his chest, he felt Sahra and Lucine's presences once more, though neither of them spoke.

His movements freed, Eizen dashed across the bridge, through the gate, and up the streets of the stone city he knew better than any other settlement on the continent, all his attention focused on reaching the Sanctuary. At the entrance, Zaveid was standing outside and holding the ornate doors open, and Eizen carried his father across the threshold and into the sacred building, met at last by the welcome sight of Maotelus, the Dragon of Light.

"Maotelus!" he gasped, stumbling now as he reached the glowing behemoth and dropped to his knees.

"Eizen," the Great Lord said softly.

"Maotelus, please," Eizen panted, holding out the man clutched in his Giant's Arms and lifting him up, offering Rokurou to his only hope of salvation. "Please, help my father! I can't purify him or he'll crumble into dust, you have to do what you did when you saved him before I was born!"

Instead of taking the proffered figure, Maotelus bowed his head. "I can't," he told Eizen sadly.

"Wh…What?" Eizen gasped.

"When I saved Rokurou, I used all the power left from the Mana Wheel that held Innominat in place to give him a new body," Maotelus said. "That power is gone now, used up to give Velvet and Rokurou a second chance. I don't have what I would need to save him again."

"But…but you're _Maotelus_!" Eizen exclaimed as Sahra and Lucine emerged to manifest beside him. "You're the leader of the Five Lords! You must be able to do _something_!"

"I am not all-powerful," Maotelus said, shaking his massive head. "I'm sorry, Eizen, I really am…"

"Just try!" Eizen begged, his vision blurring with tears. "Please? Please try, you have to try, this is my father, your uncle, your friend! You _have_ to try!"

"I can't," Maotelus insisted.

"Laphicet, _please_!" Velvet sobbed, and Eizen noticed that she was kneeling on the floor not far away. "This is _Rokurou_! Can't you do anything?!"

"I told you when I purified you that I wouldn't be able to save you again if you succumbed to malevolence a second time," Maotelus told her.

"But he didn't choose this!" Velvet cried. "He didn't choose to become malevolent again, the Lord of Calamity forced it on him! It's not fair!"

"What's the harm in trying?" Sahra spoke up. "Worst case scenario, it doesn't work, which is what would happen anyway…" She stepped forward, her expression chiseled from stone. "…and I want to see Master Rokurou as he really is. Come on, o mighty dragon, you must have it in you to try!"

"Great Lord Maotelus," Lucine said solemnly, "I do not know you personally, or these people, but…it's clear that the members of this man's family love him deeply, and I can see that you don't want to tear them apart. Won't you at least take the chance?"

"Mr. Great Lord Maotelus, sir?"

The squeak of a young, brunette girl caught everyone's attention, as Celica trotted around to kneel before the Dragon of Light, her hands clasped in front of her, though she fidgeted in place. _She still can't hold still,_ Eizen noted distantly.

"Won't you please save my daddy?" Cellie asked, gazing up at the giant, glowing seraph. "He still has to train me in the Rangetsu style."

"Please, Maotelus," Eizen begged. "You have to try."

"I…" Maotelus's blazing eyes turned to each of the humans and seraphim laid out before him, all desperate for his help, all full of faith that he could succeed…and at last, the Great Lord caved. "I can't promise anything," he sighed, holding out one massive, shining paw, "but…give him to me. I will do my best."

"Thank you," Eizen gasped, laying his father's limp body out in the shimmering seraph's claws. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

He kept repeating the words, echoed by his mother and sister, as Maotelus tilted his head back, opened his jaws in a silent roar, and tore a rift in the earthpulse before clutching Rokurou against his glowing chest and diving in.

Then they were alone.

Eizen severed his bond with Edna, letting her manifest on her own as he collapsed onto his hands, gasping for air. Behind him, he heard Zaveid's boots on the carpeted floor, followed by steps that he somehow sensed belonged to Sadie.

And they waited.

Minutes crawled by, with no sign of the Great Lord of Lords. No one was willing to break the silence. Somehow, Eizen found himself sitting on the steps that led up to the altar from which he'd drawn the Sacred Blade, while Zaveid paced in front of him, Sahra and Sadie stood off to one side together, Cellie darted between the pillars along the other side of the room, and Velvet sat huddled on the floor. Edna stood at the base of the steps just next to Eizen, twirling her umbrella, and Lucine was still where she'd emerged, her violet eyes moving between each of the attendants who waited in silent vigil for whatever would come next.

Finally, Lucine walked over to Velvet.

"Um," the water seraph said softly.

Velvet jerked and looked up.

"We were never properly introduced," Lucine said awkwardly. "My name is Lucine."

"I'm…Velvet," Velvet said faintly.

Lucine nodded. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay," she told Velvet with gentle confidence. "It's clear that you and your husband love each other very much. I don't think love like what you share could be torn apart so easily."

"You'd be surprised, babe," Zaveid remarked gravely from behind her.

The water seraph turned, her eyes wide as she met his gaze. It seemed to Eizen that a thousand things passed between the two seraphim with that one look; then Zaveid recoiled, as though hurt or scared, and Lucine suddenly looked profoundly sad. After another moment, though, she shook her head, her white curls bouncing across her shoulders. "No," she said adamantly, "I don't think so, not with Lord Maotelus himself putting all his efforts into mending…Rokurou, was it?"

Eizen winced, thinking of the power that had failed to save Zaveid's love, despite that same seraph's best efforts. Maybe Velvet had thought of that too, because she stood up, drawing Lucine's attention back to her.

"I didn't get to thank you," Velvet told Lucine. "So, um, thank you, for coming to get me. Even if Rokurou…even if things don't work out, it's because of you that there's even a chance."

"Oh, don't thank me," Lucine said quickly. "It was the Squire Sadie's idea; I only lent her the power she needed to escape the cage of fire we were in."

_Sadie?_ Eizen blinked, turning to the golden-haired girl he loved so dearly as she folded her arms in a defensive stance.

"Well, thank you for the part you played in it," Velvet told the water seraph. "And…" Slowly, she walked over to where Sadie stood, the girl's dark brown eyes darting around uncomfortably. "And thank you, too."

Sadie said nothing.

"You're…Sadie, right?" Velvet asked her. "Sadie Halloway? My son has told me a lot about you." She clasped her hands and bowed slightly. "Thank you, for telling me what was going on in time for me to stop it. I know you have no love for our family, and it means a lot to me that you would help us like this."

"We couldn't afford for Eizen to screw this up," Sadie growled. "He had a hard time killing some corrupted nobody a couple of weeks ago, so I had a feeling he wouldn't be able to kill his father, and…well, I figured, if anyone could talk that hellion down, it would be you."

"Whatever your reasons, I'm grateful to you," Velvet repeated firmly. "We all are. Thank you, Sadie."

"I don't want gratitude from someone like you," Sadie sneered, but the expression looked forced, and her tone didn't hold the bite it would once have had. Rather than a snarl of genuine hatred, her grimace looked like the face of someone trying, _desperately_ trying, to be hateful…and failing.

"Oh, come on," Sahra chuckled, wrapping an arm around Sadie's shoulders and shaking her, "just say 'you're welcome'! Where's the harm in that?"

The Squire stumbled, trying to shake her way out of the fire seraph's grip, but though she didn't respond, her frown faltered.

"She's come a long way," Eizen said to Edna softly as Sahra started talking cheerfully to Velvet about Rokurou, letting Sadie off the hook.

"Not all the way, but pretty far," Edna agreed. "As long as she doesn't see her parents while we're in town and they don't try to fill her head with more garbage, maybe she'll actually come around pretty soon."

The conversation between Sahra and Velvet ended quickly, and as soon as she was free, Velvet approached her son. "Eizen," she said, "I'm so happy to see you safe."

"I'm glad to see you too, mom," Eizen said, standing up and walking down to her. "It's been a crazy journey, and I'm happy to be home."

"Your face!" Velvet gasped, reaching out and gently placing her fingers against the scar on his cheek. "What happened, sweetie?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he assured her with a smile. "Just part of a trial I had to take to earn Lord Musiphe's blessing. I'm okay."

His mother stepped forward and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, just taking in the feels and smells of his family, his home. _Home_…For all he'd been through, he still had a home.

"I was so worried," she whispered. "I couldn't sleep some nights, I was so worried about where you were, whether or not you were okay."

"I know," he responded. "I'm sorry, mom, I had to go all over the continent to get what we needed to fight Niko. But everything's in place now, I shouldn't have to leave Hyland again, and soon, it'll all be over."

Light interrupted his long-overdue reunion with his mother, and they pulled apart as the signal of Maotelus's return surrounded them. Quickly, everyone ran to the front of the Sanctuary, giving the Great Lord room to manifest, as a rift opened in the earthpulse and Maotelus emerged, sweeping around and taking his place across the front half of the room. One of his massive paws still clutched something against his chest, which Eizen took as a good sign.

"Well?" Eizen asked the Great Lord. "How is he?"

"Rokurou…will live," Maotelus said slowly. "But…"

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by the joyous gasps of Rokurou's family. "Oh, thank you!" Velvet and her children sobbed. "Thank you, thank you, thank-"

Then Maotelus extended his one upraised claw and brought it to the floor, revealing what he was carrying, and their voices choked and cut off. Eizen stared, wide-eyed, at what the Great Lord had revealed.

"I'm sorry," Maotelus said, and the Shepherd could feel the Dragon of Light's sorrow emanating from his entire, massive being. "I did my best."

* * *

**If you really want to enjoy the fight between Eizen and Rokurou, look up "Tales of Berseria OST: Rokurou Rangetsu" on YouTube and play that while you read it. Seriously, that track was MADE for a boss fight, and if this was a game, I wouldn't allow anything else to play during that battle.**

**Shoutout to penname "RosyMiranto18" for correctly guessing Lucine's true name! And also a shoutout to that same person for guessing the thirteen souls who helped Eizen draw the Sacred Blade, albeit with a tiny bit of help (I think I'll leave the contest open to any future readers as well)…1,100 internet points to you, friend! Don't spend them all in one place. ;D**

**ALSO, I feel a need to justify my choices here, so I shall: No, I did not simply wimp out on killing Rokurou, I would have readily killed him if it would have served the story; however, there is some Very Important character development that will take place over the course of the next two chapters that could not happen if Rokurou died, so I'm letting him live. I will never kill OR save a character for the sake of it; if a character has to live for the story to work, then they will live, and likewise, if a character has to die for the story to work, then they will die. That is all. Merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates the holiday on the day the original version of this chapter came out.**


	18. A Chance To Make It

The stars twinkled watchfully in the night sky, standing in silent vigil over the priests' bunker in Ladylake, where Velvet, Eizen, Sadie, and the Shepherd's four seraphim waited around Rokurou Rangetsu-Crowe's bedside. Celica had been there, but her constant energy had put everyone else on edge, and finally Velvet had told her to go play with Uno, whom Eizen gathered had become a babysitter of sorts for his energetic sister. It shouldn't have taken so long for the subject of their watch to rouse, and Eizen wondered just how much of his father Maotelus had truly saved.

At long last, a sudden groan cut through the silence, and Rokurou stirred slightly, his face twitching.

"Rokurou!" Velvet gasped, lunging to his side. "Rokurou, can you hear me? Rokurou!"

"Hnnngh," Rokurou managed, and at last, his copper eyes slitted open to see his wife hovering over him. "…Vel?" he rasped.

"Rokurou!" Velvet exclaimed, diving forward and hugging him.

"What…" Rokurou shook his head as though dazed. "What happened?" Not waiting for an answer, he shoved against Velvet to roll onto his right side and start to push himself up.

"Oh, Rokurou, don't get up so quickly," Velvet began, trying to press him back down.

But she was too late to stop him from sitting up and lifting his left arm to rub a hand through his hair…only to jab himself in the eye.

"Ow! What the-?" The words died on his lips as he stared at what remained of his left arm. Gasping in alarm, he raised his intact right hand and pulled back the sleeve that hung loosely from the severed stump. About halfway below his elbow, his forearm simply ended, leaving only a smooth nub in place of a wrist and hand.

"Rokurou," Velvet began softly.

"What happened?" Rokurou whispered, his eyes wide with horror. Eizen winced as the newly-purified swordsman turned as though trying to swing his legs over the side of the bed, only to immediately notice the problem.

"Rokurou, wait-" Velvet began quickly.

Rokurou shook her off, using his one hand to pull back the loose legs of his kimono. His left leg cut off about halfway down his thigh, and his right leg cut off a little below the knee.

"My legs…"

"Dad," Eizen said gently, "Maotelus did everything he could to save you, but he didn't have the power he used last time. There's, um…there's more," he added uncomfortably as his father settled back, staring at his hand and arm stump. "You had several blessings, and Maotelus had to use them all up…and he says you might have trouble concentrating for long periods of time, and some of your memories might be fuzzy or gone. But that's all!" he added desperately. "You're intact apart from that!"

Whether or not Rokurou had even heard this rundown of his condition was debatable, and Eizen wasn't sure he would have cared. In those copper eyes, Eizen saw total and utter devastation, and he knew his father understood what all this meant: Even with wooden legs and a lifetime of practice, the most he could ever hope for was to walk unassisted; he would never wield the Rangetsu style again.

"Rokurou," Velvet said, taking his one good hand in both of hers, "it's a miracle that you're even alive! Maotelus didn't think there was anything he could do at all! Remember, he told us that if we fell to malevolence again, he wouldn't be able to save us a second time?"

The ancient swordsman barely seemed to notice his wife. He was still staring down at his mangled body, horrified at the loss of so much of himself, of everything he'd spent centuries training for.

"I'm sorry, Rokurou," Velvet whispered, gripping his hand tighter. "I know you…never gave up on your dream. But you have us! You have your family, we're here, and we love you! That's…enough, isn't it? Can't that be enough?" she pleaded desperately.

"My dream…" Rokurou repeated under his breath, and suddenly, a spark it in his expression. "No…I…" He shook his head. "I remember. When Niko turned, and I had to fend her off…I achieved my dream."

"Huh?" Velvet gasped.

Finally, Rokurou turned and met Velvet's eyes, interlacing his fingers with hers, and his thumb brushed over the scar that crossed her left hand in a clearly-unconscious gesture - yet another wound left by malevolence, a mark of dark times past. "My memories of the last couple of months are…hazy," he rasped slowly, "but I remember that night. I remember, when I had to fight Niko while you and Eizen got away, knowing I was the only one who could make sure you would be safe…I realized what true strength is. True strength…isn't about brute strength or refined technique, it's not about practice or discipline…I mean," he added with a faint smile, and Eizen nearly collapsed with relief at the sight of a glimmer of the father he knew, "those things help, but without one key ingredient, it's all meaningless."

"Rokurou," Velvet breathed as he released her hand to place his only fingers along her cheek.

"True strength," he said, "comes from having something you _know_, with all your heart, is worth fighting for."

She leaned into his touch, a tear leaking from one golden eye.

"To protect you, Velvet, you and Eizen, I know I could have taken on Shigure in a fair fight," Rokurou told her. "Hell, I could have taken on a _dozen_ Shigures, with just one sword, and I still could have won. That night, I wielded the power I've always dreamed of, and I know I could have defeated and killed any enemy, any number of enemies - it wouldn't have mattered, because I was fighting for my family. I could have killed any foe…" He sighed. "Except for my own daughter. I won, but I couldn't kill my own daughter."

"I wouldn't have wanted you to," Velvet whimpered.

"I don't think there's a choice," Rokurou sighed resignedly. "But because of the ways of my ancestors, I hesitated…and now I'm paying the price, we all are. I'm sorry for that, Velvet."

"No, don't be!" she exclaimed, clasping his hand against her face. "Don't be sorry, Rokurou! Niko is still our daughter!"

"And you're still my home," Rokurou said seriously.

"As you're mine," Velvet responded breathlessly.

Rokurou smiled, if faintly, and took a deep breath. For a moment, Eizen braced himself to look away in case his parents started kissing, but instead, Rokurou turned to face him. "There is something else I remember," he said: "I remember that you beat me, Eizen."

"Yes," Eizen nodded, suddenly nervous.

"I achieved my dream," Rokurou said, "and then I was defeated by my own son. I guess I can make peace with retirement, given all that. I'm not happy about it, but I can live with it."

"I'm glad to hear that," Eizen breathed, relieved beyond words. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay, dad. We were worried about you."

"I'll be fine." Rokurou frowned, and Eizen immediately felt on edge again. "But tell me something, Eizen. If true strength comes from having something you know, with all your heart, is worth fighting for, then…what are you fighting for?"

Eizen blinked.

"My memories of my time with Niko are few," Rokurou went on, "but I do know one thing for certain: Niko believes in what she's fighting for, with all her…well, not heart, but with all her being, she truly believes that malevolence is the key to saving this world. If your resolve wavers for even a moment, hers will crush you. So tell me, son, what are you fighting for? What is it you believe in?"

"I…" All possible answers fled Eizen's mind, leaving him mute, his mouth hanging open to make way for words that would not come.

"Convince me Niko's wrong," Rokurou pressed. "Convince me of what you're fighting for. Make me believe in your resolve, Eizen, or you might as well give up now. If you can't do this, you can't stop Niko."

Something in the ancient swordsman's copper eyes told Eizen that there was even more riding on this question than he knew, and he scrambled for a reply. He knew Niko was wrong, surely…and yet, hadn't his resolve already wavered since his journey began, outside the Guinevere Shrine, when neither Niko nor anyone who served her was even remotely close by?

Closing his mouth and his eyes, Eizen cupped his hands in a circle in front of his navel, turning all his focus inwards as he tried to puzzle out what answer he could possibly give. But what he couldn't stop coming back to was that there was an unsettling amount of truth to what Niko had always said - he'd seen it, plenty of it, while crossing the continent in search of a means to stop her. A man who would rather die a hellion than live in obscurity, people who would kill themselves because they thought it was the only way they could do good in the world, parents who abandoned children they couldn't be bothered taking care of…the world was full of pain and death, both things Niko said she wanted to end. Was this world really better than the one she sought to make? Could a truly good world ever be built?

Was there an answer?

He couldn't find one.

Desperate, Eizen opened his eyes again and turned to face his comrades, all of whom stood behind him. They were all wary as they met his gaze, and he wondered if even they knew what they were fighting for. Finding nothing that could help him, he turned back around, and his eyes landed on his parents' re-interlocked hands, on the scar left on his mother's hand by Artorius…and there, suddenly, came some glimmer of an answer.

Eizen blinked, then settled into his thinking stance once more, sorting out what had occurred to him. His parents loved each other, their love had broken a Mana Wheel, but that love could not have happened without the suffering they endured to end up in the same place at the same time, so long ago. Maotelus himself could not have risen to power, the flames of purification would never have come to be, if an unborn child hadn't died, or if that child's father hadn't lost all hope and nearly destroyed the world out of grief. Those were extreme examples, but the more he pondered it, the more he thought of lesser ones, too - like Ivy, who took delight in visiting the Plitzerback Wetland because her home was too hot and dry to be comfortable, or Sahra, whose shame for her role in creating an assassins' guild had led her to become the Fire Angel. There was pain and loss in the world, it was true, and people would do bad things and make mistakes…but they would do good, too, there would be happiness and love and bravery, and those things would make it all worth it. In fact…

All at once, something else occurred to him, a deeper meaning to all of life's cruel, sick jokes unraveling in his mind, and it was like he could suddenly see the whole world clearly. Everything made sense, everything had its place and its purpose, and when he opened his eyes, he knew he would never falter again.

"I don't think…Niko's _completely_ wrong," he said slowly.

Startled gasps hissed at him from all around, and he let the shock pass before continuing on, not breaking eye contact with his father.

"When she says a world without malevolence would be no world at all," he clarified; "I think, in a way, that's kind of true. But where she's wrong is to say that malevolence is the answer, the only thing in this world that has meaning. That's not it. Darkness is what gives _light_ meaning. If there was no darkness in this world, there couldn't be any light, either. How could anyone ever be brave, if they didn't have the option of being cowardly? How could anyone truly know joy, if they weren't able to feel despair? How could anyone ever be said to do the right thing, if they couldn't choose to do wrong? It's our choices, our ability to choose, that make life worth living - without that choice, existence would mean nothing, our lives would be written before they even began, there would be no point. A world completely without light might be empty, but no less so than a world completely without darkness would be. So, I'm fighting for a world that holds both, a world where everyone gets to make their own choices and then face the consequences…and I do believe in it, with all my heart!" He clasped his left hand, adorned in the glove that bore the mark of the Shepherd, over his chest, as his resolve settled.

Rokurou smiled and closed his eyes, nodding slightly in what Eizen could only read as approval. "In that case," he said slowly, and he reached his one good hand to the straps that held his greatswords slung across his back.

For a long minute, Rokurou struggled with one of the belts, trying to pull it up over his head with only one arm. Velvet tried to help, but he waved her off, murmuring that he had it, that he could do it. Eventually, one of those legendary blades was clasped, sheath and all, in his right hand, and he stared at it for another moment while Eizen held his breath.

"Son," Rokurou finally sighed, looking up to meet his son's gaze, "this…is Stormhowl. It's known throughout legends as the God Blade. Its peerlessly sharp edge can cut through anything, and the blade will never chip, dull, or dent; in the right hands, a single swing of this sword can summon a tempest powerful enough to level mountains. Thousands of years ago, our ancestor, the first Rangetsu, brought it here when he came from the far continent, and it's been passed down through our family for generations ever since, only ever wielded by the leader, the Shigure, of the clan." He exhaled deeply. "When I won it from my brother fifteen hundred years ago, I thought a day would never come when I would see this weapon passed on to my own progeny. But now…" Rokurou laid the sword out on his hand and the stump of his left arm, balancing it precariously as he held it out as far as he could, to Eizen. "…I pass it on to you. By defeating me in battle, and by showing yourself to be of worthy spirit - far worthier, perhaps, than any Shigure in history - you've earned it. Take Stormhowl, Eizen, my son, and use it to fight for the world you believe in. It's yours now."

"Dad…" Eizen breathed, too shocked to take the proffered blade. Those swords were his father's whole life, and for him to pass one down to him like this…Eizen's vision blurred, his eyes stinging with tears.

"Don't start crying, now," Rokurou told him, cracking a smile as though to lighten the mood. "Us Rangetsu men don't cry." The smile dropped, and he added, "And you are a man now, Eizen, one that I'm proud to call my son. Don't ruin it."

"How horrifically outdated and misogynistic of you."

The sudden, toneless voice shocked Eizen from his daze, and Edna walked up to stand beside him, her blue eyes meeting his.

"Go ahead and cry if you want to, baby brother," she told him; "_I_ won't think any less of you."

"Hey, yeah, same here!" Zaveid spoke up from behind them, and the girls all added their own voices of agreement - even Sadie, despite the fact that she'd once believed that to feel was to fail.

"Don't listen to your father," Velvet said, and Eizen turned back to where she sat against her husband, one hand reaching over to grasp the swordsman's forearm in lieu of the hand that was holding Stormhowl outstretched. "Men have just as much right to cry as anyone else…and Eizen, you've grown up to be a fine man. Rokurou and I are _both_ proud of you; a few tears won't ruin that." She smiled at him, her own golden eyes glistening.

There was nothing stopping the tears from pouring down Eizen's face now, and he whimpered, struggling not to break down and sob. With all the self-control he could muster, he reached out a shaking hand. "Father," he croaked. "I…I…" Steeling himself, he clasped the ancient sword in his grip and lifted it. "I won't let you down!" he choked.

"I know you won't," Rokurou said, dropping his arms as Eizen fought to lift the strap over his own head, the massive blade's weight coming to rest against his shoulder. Though it was hard to see through the moisture in his eyes, Eizen could swear he saw his father swipe his one good hand against his own cheek.

Taking a deep, shaking breath, Eizen reached over his right shoulder and grasped the hilt of the God Blade. Instantly, the grip seemed to mold under his fingers, and he blinked in surprise at the sudden sense of oneness he felt with the weapon. Without even thinking, he drew the massive sword, the metal singing a pure note of power and immutable resolve as it was unleashed from its case. When the blade was free and Eizen brought it into a ready stance in front of him, a faint gust of wind rustled his cloak, swirling around him with a force that seemed almost beyond even seraphic artes.

"Well look at that," Rokurou remarked. "Stormhowl already recognizes its new master." He chuckled. "Took me centuries to get that kind of result."

Eizen heard, but all his focus was on the nodachi clasped in his fists. He didn't need to swing it to know that the legends were true - he could _feel_ the raw, primal energy radiating from the weapon, and knew that this power could only ever be wielded properly by the truly worthy…of which he had proven himself to be one such person.

"Damn." Zaveid's voice broke through Eizen's trance, and the wind seraph sauntered up to tap against the blade with a finger. "Now that is a _sword_," he enunciated, grinning. "We might have a chance against Niko and her dragons after all!"

"Way to ruin the moment," Edna grumbled.

Though he winced at the mention of what they had yet to face, Eizen nodded. "Stormhowl," he said reverently. "I will wield you well."

With that, he brought the massive blade up over his shoulder and sheathed it, somehow not missing its scabbard despite the unwieldy length - he didn't know the motions, but the sword did.

"You gonna give us your other swords, too?" Zaveid asked Rokurou.

"No," Eizen's father replied with a frown. "Kurogane Stormquell and the Kurogane Daggers were forged by a demon from his own body, they're not appropriate weapons for a Shepherd…" His lips turned down even further, into a full scowl. "And since Niko has no respect for the ways of our clan, she won't earn them either. The way I see it, I'm the only one who will ever wield them, and they'll be buried with me. And that's fine…I guess…"

_Unless…_Abruptly remembering the one person who wasn't there, Eizen looked up, his spirit lifting. "Hey dad," he said, "I have some good news for you."

"Good news?" Rokurou repeated. "Heh, I could use some good news…"

Bracing himself for a storm of a different sort, Eizen went to the door to the hut and opened it. "Celica!" he called. "You can come in now, he's awake!"

"Daddy!"

His youngest sister's scream pierced the night, just barely heralding her mad dash inside, which Eizen dodged very narrowly, and she leapt at the crippled swordsman sitting on the bed.

"_Daddy_!" she shrieked.

"Whoa!" Rokurou exclaimed, nearly knocked onto his back by his daughter's assault, only staying upright because Velvet caught him. "Celica," he said worriedly, putting his one good hand to her forehead, his arm stump wrapped around her as tightly as possible, "you shouldn't be running around like that. Are you feeling faint? You don't have a fever…"

Celica shook her head. "I'm all better now," she chirped. "Mommy and Eizen made the Omega Elixir for me, so I'm not sick anymore. I'm gonna get to grow up, and you're gonna train me in the Rangetsu style so I can be just like you!"

"You're…?" Rokurou's eyes widened.

"You'll still train me, right?" Celica asked anxiously. "Even without your legs, you can train me, right?"

"I…" Those copper eyes blinked rapidly. "I can't…demonstrate, but…I mean…I can instruct you…"

"Sahra is a master of the Rangetsu style, too," Eizen spoke up, smiling. "Between the three of us, I'm sure Cellie will learn just fine."

"Sahra?" Rokurou looked up, past his son, his copper eyes falling on the fire seraph, the reincarnation of his best student. Eizen saw faint, hazy memories flickering behind his father's eyes, as he remembered, in pieces, the other participant in the fight.

Sahra said nothing, but Eizen could feel the tension between them.

"Sahra," Rokurou said softly, "would you…" He shook his head. "You were my best student," he started over. "I can't show my daughter how to use the Rangetsu style, so…would you, please, help me teach her the ways of our ancestors? Please?"

"I'd be happy to," Sahra replied, and when Eizen looked back at her, she was smiling. "She has the spark, the same one you saw in me; it would be a shame if she never got to reach her potential. Between your tutelage and mine, Master Rokurou, I know she'll grow up to be a great warrior, and I would be honored to help you train her."

"Yay!" Celica cheered. Then she blinked. "Are you okay, daddy?" she asked. "Why are you crying? Aren't you happy?"

And Rokurou _was_ crying, hot droplets of moisture streaming from his eyes despite what he'd said just a few minutes earlier. With a gasp, he wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her close, and she returned his embrace. "Yes, I'm happy, princess!" he sobbed. "I'm so happy! I never dreamed I could be so happy!" His one good hand released his daughter to reach over and pull his wife into the fray, and all three held each other, sobbing and laughing and really, truly happy.

Their audience smiled too, if awkwardly.

"Perhaps we should…give them some space," Lucine suggested.

"Yeah," Sahra agreed, "let them have their moment. Come on, Sadie."

Lucine, Sahra, and Sadie made for the door…and even though he was part of the family that was reuniting, Eizen felt inclined to leave, too. This was a moment for people whose stories were ending, or hadn't yet begun. Not for him.

Edna and Zaveid followed Eizen, and then the whole team was outside in the night air. Eizen took a deep breath, just taking in the stars twinkling watchfully overhead. "What a day," he sighed.

"Shame we didn't get to take the last of the trials," Edna commented.

"What're you talking about, babe?" Zaveid asked. "We took the Rangetsu Trial! A trial of strength, and a trial of spirit, and our boy here passed both with flying colors!"

"And got a pretty sweet reward for it, too," Sahra agreed.

"It's just a sword," Edna shrugged.

"Just a sword?!" Sahra exclaimed, affronted. "That sword was Master Rokurou's pride and joy, it's an honor to even lay a finger on it!"

"It's not just a sword, Edna," Eizen said calmly, drawing Stormhowl again, shivering at the sense of power and strength he got just from holding the ancient blade. "Stormhowl is different. Can't you tell?"

"Hmm…" Edna tilted her head at the God Blade, her face as passive as ever.

"Hey, uncle," Eizen said suddenly, "is Stormhowl imbued with wind mana?"

"Nope," the wind seraph replied readily, again tapping a finger against the metal. "There's no mana in this thing, seraphic artes aren't involved. Its power is something else entirely…actually, it kinda reminds me of the bullets I used to use for Siegfried." He chuckled. "Crazy bastards on the far continent always come up with the darnedest things…but hey, ya can't blame 'em for improvising."

"No mana?" Eizen repeated, surprised. "Can it…still channel the flames of purification?"

Zaveid frowned. "Well, let's see…" A silver ember lit on one tanned finger, and Zaveid brought it against the blade. It vanished instantly. "Whoa!" yelped the Prime Lord, jumping back. "Uh…yeah, yeah it should channel 'em pretty well. Scarily well, in fact…It almost feels like it was made to do that. Well, not purification, but seraphic energy…"

"Made to channel seraphic energy?" Eizen repeated. "But if it wasn't made with seraphic artes, how can that be?"

"Everything in the world is composed of mana of some sort," Edna stated; "it's just dormant in most things. Makes sense that some humans would develop tools meant to bring out and direct the potential power that surrounds us constantly."

"Huh." Eizen eyed the legendary weapon thoughtfully, then sheathed it. "Maybe I should…still use my katana, at least for regular fights. This feels like something that should be saved for emergencies."

"Why?" Sadie asked.

Eizen turned to the golden-haired Squire, and something stirred in his chest when he met her eyes. _You saved my family._ The realization hadn't really sunk in until now. "Uh…I don't know," he replied before things got awkward, "just a gut feeling."

As if on cue, his stomach growled. Everyone burst out laughing - even Sadie, if only a little.

"Ahh, I'm hungry," Eizen chuckled. "What I wouldn't give for a bowl of my mom's stew…"

"Or a slice of her quiche!" Zaveid added enthusiastically. "It's been way too long since we've gotten to taste Velvet's culinary splendor."

"Splendor?" Lucine inquired.

"Oh, that's right!" Zaveid grinned. "You ladies haven't tasted Velvet's cooking! Well, prepare yourselves. Once you've tasted a dish prepared by Velvet Rangetsu-Crowe, all other food will be as ash in your mouths!"

"I won't be tasting anything," Sahra pointed out.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't know what you're missing," Zaveid smirked. "You should definitely break your fasting habit for a chance to feast on what Velvet makes. One bite, and you'll never be the same, I can promise you that."

Somehow, all three of the girls Zaveid had been addressing managed to end up looking towards Edna.

"What?" Edna asked. "Why are you all looking at me?"

"I think they're waiting for you to stab him, big sis," Eizen laughed.

"Oh." Edna blinked dispassionately. "I can understand why you would expect that, but it is a simple fact of life that Velvet Rangetsu-Crowe is the finest chef to ever grace the world with her culinary artistry."

"Wait, really?!" Sahra gasped.

"Indeed," Edna nodded, and she turned to Zavied, giving him a pointed look. "It is also a simple fact of life that she'll probably prefer to spend time with her newly-rescued husband rather than cook for us."

"True," Zaveid conceded with a dirty smile. "Well, the inn's meals provide sustenance, at least. Not particularly useful for us seraphim, but Eizen and Sadie can get something out of it."

"I'll settle," Eizen said readily. "Let's eat, then get some sleep. We've earned it."

"We _have_ been around the world and back again," Edna remarked in agreement as they started walking through the streets of the only town Eizen had ever seen before becoming the Shepherd. "Hard to believe it's all almost over."

"Yeah," he sighed, smiling. "It's good to be home."

~o~

The inn, it turned out, was full to bursting with refugees from Marlind, Elysia, and even the Rolance Empire, people taking shelter in the one place safe from the Lord of Calamity's rampage. Apparently, the various campers were taking turns sleeping in rooms in the inn and on the streets, tents and sleeping bags crammed around the entrance to the inn and in all sorts of alleys and nooks throughout the city, though the knights had kept them from clogging up any major trafficways. It was possible to order food at the inn, though the kitchen staff were sorely overworked, but getting even one bed to sleep in was an impossible task.

Given this, after dinner, everyone split up - Sadie had a home in Ladylake, after all, though Eizen wasn't happy about her going back to her family, and the seraphim all seemed to want to just enjoy being out and about in safety. For himself, Eizen went back to the priests' bunker. On the way, he ran into Celica, who was running around after Uno.

"What are you doing up so late, Cellie?" Eizen asked her. "You should be in bed."

"Mom and dad haven't made me go to bed yet," Celica told him, "and I _hate_ sleeping. Until they force me, I'm gonna run around and never stop!"

"Uno," Eizen said pleadingly to the Lord of the Land.

"Don't worry, Shepherd," Uno said with a bow, "I will ensure she is safe and well. Worry about your own health."

"Thanks," Eizen mumbled, stifling a yawn, and he left his rambunctious little sister to pester the water seraph for reasons to keep moving.

At the bunker door, he stopped, realizing he was basically about to walk in on his parents' room. Nervously, he decided to put an ear to the door before barging in.

"…Maybe we can still have our little Magilou after all," he heard his father chuckle.

Velvet laughed. "You sound like Zaveid," she teased, her tone happier than Eizen could remember it being since the night Niko turned.

"Nah, see, it's different," Rokurou dismissed, "because you're my wife."

Heat rushed to Eizen's face. While he debated knocking or just walking away, he heard his father sigh.

"Hey, Velvet?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't remember a lot," Rokurou said slowly, "but…I remember…_some_ of what you said right before everything went white. Did you really…hear me, when you were in the seal?"

"Yeah," Velvet replied. "I did. I'm sorry, Rokurou, I should have just told you."

"Why didn't you?" Eizen's father asked.

"When I was a daemon, I couldn't admit it to myself," Velvet answered sadly. "If I admitted that I'd broken out of my own will, I…I wouldn't have been able to keep hating you, because it was my own fault. And then, after we were purified…I was ashamed, that I'd used the excuse to hate you, to hurt you like I did. I didn't want to admit it. I thought it wouldn't matter."

"It wouldn't have saved me from Niko," Rokurou sighed. "Maybe it's for the best that you chose not to tell me until yesterday. Don't be sorry, Vel. We're here now, we're together again, and that's all that matters. Even the fact that I can't walk home isn't that big of a deal."

"Rokurou…home - the treehouse - it…it burned down," Velvet informed him in a pained voice, obviously thinking of how hard he'd worked to build it over the years.

"Oh." Rokurou was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Well…that doesn't matter either. _You're_ my home, Velvet."

"And you're mine."

Less than a second of listening further told Eizen he needed to just walk away, and he did, quickly, his cheeks burning. Sleep, it seemed, was not going to be an option tonight. But that was okay; he had a lot to think about.

~X~

Edna wandered through Ladylake, avoiding the clusters of humans sleeping on the streets. _Maotelus really doesn't think things through sometimes,_ she thought. _For a Great Lord who exists to protect the world from malevolence, he can be incredibly shortsighted…_Still, there were empty roads that the refugees had been ordered to stay clear from, and Edna kept to these streets, just enjoying a peaceful night within Maotelus's enhanced domain, safe from malevolence with or without a vessel.

So much had happened since the last time she'd been here; she'd forgotten how quickly events passed around a Shepherd. Reflection wasn't something Edna did very often, and now she didn't even know where to begin. They had everything they needed to stop the Lord of Calamity - apart from Lord Amenoch's blessing, which they'd get tomorrow - and then some, but there was also reason to worry that there was something bigger to be concerned about than just a Lord of Calamity. Rokurou's past had returned to him in the form of their fire seraph, Rose had been reborn as a wind seraph, and Edna had a boyfriend…and yet, everything was still the same. Above, the stars were as steadfast as ever, twinkling as they always had and always would. Did the stars ever marvel at how quickly things changed, Edna found herself wondering, or did everything look the same from so far away?

Voices caught Edna's attention, and she followed them, recognizing the sounds of the Squire and the fire seraph Sub Lord having their usual late-night talk. Edna had never joined in, but maybe tonight, it would help to converse, to discuss everything they'd seen and done in the last couple of weeks.

"Hey, Edna!" Sahra called as Edna turned a corner to see Sadie and Sahra standing together.

"Hey," Edna said dully, trotting over to them. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, um," Sadie said, blushing, "we were just talking about…my parents."

"Oh?" Edna asked.

"I…I'm nervous about seeing them again," Sadie confessed.

"Then don't," Edna advised.

"But…"

"Sleep on the streets like everyone else," Edna shrugged. "If you go home, your parents will just try to fill your head with nonsense again, and you've come a long way since you left."

Sadie blinked, her expression unreadable.

"How did we get on that subject, anyway?" Edna asked.

"Just talking about family," Sahra answered. Her usual smile dimmed somewhat, turning into something softer, more nostalgic. "I…I see what you and Eizen meant, now, about Master Rokurou. The way he was just now…I never imagined he could be so sweet."

"He couldn't," Edna pointed out, "not when he was a hellion."

"Yeah, I know," Sahra elaborated, "and that's what I get now. He's not the man I thought he was - he's so much more. The way he spoke to his wife, and passing on Stormhowl to his son…" She closed her eyes, smiling wider. "I'm glad I didn't kill him, and I'm glad he's alive. He's a good man, and now I can have a chance to know what he's really like." One leaf-green eye opened to give Sadie a meaningful look. "And from there we started talking about what it means to be a family."

"I've never known such tenderness in mine," Sadie admitted. "That's why I…don't really want to go see my parents. I've never seen them act like that, not with each other, not with me, and I…I can't help but wonder…"

"They love you," Sahra told Sadie; "based on what you've told me, I'm sure of that much. They just don't know how to show it."

"But former hellions do," Sadie said; it wasn't a judgmental statement, more the words of a confused little girl who didn't know where to turn. "Eizen's family is so…loving. But they knew malevolence. And my parents-"

Suddenly, an unwelcome voice cut through the conversation:

"Well, hello ladies!"

Edna groaned and turned to see Zaveid sauntering towards them.

"Y'all forget to invite me to your little get-together?" he smirked. "That's cold, y'know."

"You wouldn't want to join us, Zaveid," Sahra chuckled. "We're just having a little girl talk, and I don't think you speak that language."

Zaveid laughed. "Fair enough," he conceded.

The Prime Lord's smile was casual, easygoing, and for a moment, Edna thought he might actually just walk by and leave them alone. Then, after he'd taken a few steps as though to pass them, he suddenly stopped short, and the next thing Edna knew, he was leaning against the wall right in front of them, wearing a cocky smile that seemed much too wide.

"You know, babes," he said, a bit loudly, "we did a good thing today. Against all odds, we saved a husband and father and brought him back to his family." His evil smile stretched even further. "What say you we celebrate by making a family of our own?" he asked in a dirty tone.

"But - but I thought seraphim didn't breed?" Sadie asked in a squeak.

"We don't," Zaveid smirked nastily, "but we can do the fun part. Who's with me?"

Sadie whimpered, and Sahra folded her arms with a growl, but Edna narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously - Zaveid was gross, but he wasn't usually this forward about it. _What are you up to…?_

"Just out of pure curiosity, and not because there was any chance this was going to happen," Sahra said coldly, "what exactly were your plans if more than one of us said yes?"

"Well, the more the merrier!" Zaveid shrugged, his lips stretching even further in a wicked grin. "Let's make it a party. Whaddaya say?"

"And why isn't Lucine invited to this party?" Edna asked, raising her voice to make sure she'd be heard over Sahra's grunt of utter disgust.

For the briefest of split seconds, Zaveid flinched - it happened so fast, Edna doubted anyone who didn't know him particularly well would have noticed, but she didn't miss it, and she knew she'd been right about where this was coming from.

"Ah, well, you know," he shrugged, recovering, "Lucine…she's not really my type."

"I thought every girl was your type," Edna said dully.

"I thought everything even remotely female was your type!" Sahra added.

"Nah," Zaveid dismissed. "Lucine is…well…y'know, she's…" He fumbled for a moment, and Edna heard everything he didn't say: _Too pure. Too perfect. Too good for me._ "…delicate," he finished at last. "Fragile, y'know? I'd just break her to pieces." His voice deepened huskily. "Give me a real woman any d-"

"Quit it," Edna snapped, stabbing him in the gut and forcing him to double over, cutting him off. "You're not fooling anyone." She turned her back, opening her umbrella and twirling it over her shoulder. "Let's go, girls."

"Right behind you," Sahra grumbled. "Come on, Sadie."

As they walked away from the disgusting Prime Lord, Edna only vaguely registered the sounds of Sahra assuring Sadie that yes, it was absolutely okay to turn down a proposition from a seraph; her mind's eye was consumed by the scene they were leaving behind. Edna didn't have to look back to see Zaveid straighten back up, shrug as casually as possible, turn around, and then pretend to have only just noticed Lucine standing at the crossroads behind him, having borne witness to the entire exchange. She didn't have to read the vibrations in the ground beneath her feet to know the way Zaveid walked towards the water seraph, his expression blank, then deliberately turned his back to her at that crossroads and took a different path, as though she didn't interest him at all, as though she wasn't good enough even for his infinitesimally low standards. And Edna didn't have to see the look on Zaveid's face to know the pain that lanced through him with every step he took, as he told himself that it was for the best, that he would only hurt her, that he couldn't let her get attached to him, that she had to understand who he was, that making her hate him now was only protecting her from the agony of heartbreak later.

_What an idiot,_ Edna thought, sighing inwardly. _He's really committed to staying this way. If he's going to fight to hold onto his misery like this, I might have to take drastic measures…_

Suddenly, Edna wanted nothing more than to get away from all of it. Grunting an abrupt farewell to Sahra and Sadie, she broke off from them and left to find her baby brother on foot, as though he wasn't her vessel. It was silly, but she couldn't take it anymore; just for the rest of the night, she wanted to pretend that everything was as it had been.

~X~

The Ladylake Sanctuary was completely empty, much to Eizen's relief. He wouldn't try to sleep there, but he sat down cross-legged behind the altar that had held the Sacred Blade, cupped his hands in front of his navel, and turned all his focus inwards. There was a lot for him to sort through, and somehow, he had the sense that there was something important he was overlooking in all the chaos of the day's events.

Saving his father, and passing the trial his father had set forth after waking up, was a tremendous ordeal, of course, but as he sifted through the emotions he'd gone through trying to save the ancient swordsman, he found it all to be heavy, but straightforward. The _fight_ with his father was less straightforward - he couldn't help dwelling on the calm euphoria he'd felt giving his all in the battle, and the way his father had declared him a true Rangetsu for feeling it; the revelation about what sort of traditions the Rangetsu Clan had practiced was appalling, and Eizen wondered if he should be worried that he was so susceptible to that kind of bloodlust…but in the end, though he did need to take some time to sort through his feelings on the subject, even taking everything that had happened with Sahra into account, that wasn't what was really bothering him either, it wasn't the source of that nagging he felt at the back of his mind as he tried to pinpoint what seemed so vital, so easily overlooked.

Narrowing it down took a sustained time of slow, careful consideration, but eventually, he reached it. Just as his blood ran cold with the implications, he sensed a steady, reliable presence sit down next to him.

"Edna," he said distantly, rising from his meditative trance.

"What are you doing here, Eizen?" Edna asked him as he opened his eyes and met her gaze.

"Mom and dad are…uh…busy, with the priests' bunker," Eizen replied sheepishly. "I didn't want to bother them."

"Oh." Edna barely blinked in response.

Eizen sighed. "Listen, Edna," he said, "there's something that happened today that's bugging me - more so than everything else, I mean. Something Niko said."

"It would have been her fault if Rokurou died, not yours," Edna told him readily; "without malevolence, he could easily have lived a full life."

"Yeah, I know," Eizen assured her. "That's not it. It's something she said when…when she told her dragons to stop us from taking dad through the barrier."

Edna tilted her head. "Fethmus Mioma and Lusrov Rulay are Lailah and Mikleo's true names," she stated.

"I figured as much," Eizen nodded. "But that's not it either."

"What, then?"

"Edna," Eizen asked seriously in response, "have you ever heard of something called the First Shadow?"

She blinked, with the kind of surprise that suggested the term meant something to her. Then she replied, "That's weird, your father asked me that same question the night before Cellie's birthday. At the time, I had to answer no, because that was the first time I'd ever heard of it. I thought it didn't mean anything. Why are you asking about it?"

"Why did my _dad_ ask you about it?" Eizen questioned, alarmed.

"Velvet had a nightmare," Edna shrugged.

"Did she tell you what the nightmare was?" Eizen pressed. Something told him the answer would be vital to the entire future of his quest.

"Yeah," Edna replied. "She said she was in the night sky, but all the stars around her, though they looked like stars, were actually teeth, so the sky was a big mouth that was about to chew us all up. Then she heard a voice that she said sounded like it was trying to be comforting…and something about how she couldn't really understand it, but she also knew exactly what it was trying to say."

"And what did it say?"

"It said, 'Your blood will hear the First Shadow, and all will be clear,'" Edna answered.

Chills ran down Eizen's spine. "That's…ominous," he observed slowly.

"That's what I said," Edna informed him, "but Velvet insisted that the voice that said that was trying to comfort her somehow."

Eizen shook his head. "'Your blood will hear the First Shadow'…" he repeated. "And then Niko became the Lord of Calamity…Maybe it meant her? Is…is the First Shadow some other term for malevolence?"

"I don't think so," Edna replied. "Even if it was, why would that be comforting?"

"I don't know," Eizen admitted, and he ran a hand through his shaggy hair, pulling several strands loose from his short ponytail, which he'd trimmed while waiting for his father to wake up.

"So where's this coming from?" Edna inquired. "Where did you hear about it?"

"Niko," Eizen answered. "When she commanded Lailah and Mikleo to stop us, she said she was commanding them 'in the name of the First Shadow'."

"That's right!" Edna gasped, and she shook her head. "How do you remember this stuff, baby brother?"

"I focus," Eizen replied seriously. "And I can't shake the feeling that it's significant. I mean, if the First Shadow is something that allows Niko to control Lailah and Mikleo, maybe it has something to do with how Forsea was able to recognize Zaveid, and even how Niko was able to corrupt the holy tree in Marlind." He frowned. "But what could it be? A…A _source_ of malevolence, maybe? Or an origin?"

"I don't think malevolence has an origin," Edna commented. "I mean, we know about the curse cast by the Heavenly Realm, but I've never heard of anything called the First Shadow in that story."

"No," Eizen shook his head, "it would make more sense for it to be something else entirely…It's like we suspected in Gododdin, Edna: there's something more going on here - something we don't know about, but Niko does. And I don't feel comfortable forging ahead knowing that there's a factor I don't understand. If we don't know what Niko has on her side, how can we fight back?"

"Well, it's like Sahra said during that same conversation in Gododdin: If it's really that important, we'll find out about it sooner or later," Edna pointed out. "Besides, whatever it might be, there's nothing we can do about it other than take the Water Trial and get the last blessing we need to stand up to Niko; once we do that, we'll be able to stop her no matter what she has going on. Even if I don't know what the First Shadow is, one thing I _do_ know is that there's nothing in this world more powerful than the Five Lords."

"I know, but…" Eizen shook his head again, as though to dislodge the uncertainty from his mind. "I'm worried, Edna. We're missing something, something important, and I don't know what it is. How can we be ready if we don't know what we're up against?"

"Maybe we can't," Edna said dully. "Do we have to be? We're the only ones who can stop the Lord of Calamity, and you've already decided you believe in stopping her."

"Yeah," Eizen sighed, and he suddenly couldn't withhold a yawn.

Edna chuckled. "Get some sleep, baby brother," she advised him. "Use your cloak as a pillow and lie down right here. Don't worry, I'll stand guard and make sure no humans bother you."

"Thanks, big sis," Eizen sighed, already doing as she'd suggested - he _was_ tired.

As he settled down with his cloak cushioning his head, he felt Edna's hand on his arm.

"I love you, baby brother," she told him softly.

"I love you too, big sis," he replied.

And maybe, just maybe, terrible unknown looming over them or not, that would be enough.

* * *

**As of this chapter, I've decided to do something fun; I'm adding in the names and descriptions of the trophies that would be earned over the course of the main story if this was a game. I have retroactively added them to multiple previous chapters (parts 4, 6, 9, 13, 14, and 16), and for this chapter, the trophy earned would be thus: [image of the hand bearing the glove adorned with the mark of the Shepherd holding Stormhowl's hilt] ****"Inheritance" - Proof of overcoming an old trial of your ancestors and finding your answer. As a Shepherd and as a swordsman, your resolve will never falter again.**


	19. I See You

Morning dawned, as it always did, and Edna woke Eizen when their other allies came by the Sanctuary. Without waiting around or visiting with anyone, they passed through the town gates as a group, the seraphim resting within Eizen, Sadie following her Shepherd. Edna could feel Eizen's uneasiness around Sadie now that they'd been home, and she rolled her unmanifested eyes.

_Just talk to her,_ she told him.

"So, uh, Sadie," Eizen spoke up as they walked across the bridge and approached the barrier. "Um…how was it…seeing your family again?"

"Oh, I, uh…I didn't," Sadie answered, and Edna smiled to herself. "I chose to stay with the refugees instead."

Eizen's steps slowed as they crossed the threshold into Lakehaven Heights, then stopped, and he settled into this thinking stance. Sadie walked past him, then halted and turned back. Within him, Edna could feel him debating with himself, though she wasn't privy to his thoughts.

"Eizen?" Sadie asked.

Taking a deep breath, Eizen opened his eyes and lifted his head. "Guys," he said, "come on out. Everyone, please, come outside."

Edna did as he said, emerging to manifest fully; Zaveid came out next, closely followed by Sahra and Lucine.

"What's up?" Sahra asked.

"Listen," Eizen sighed, "I know we need to take the Water Trial, and we will, today, I promise…but before we do that, there's somewhere else we need to go first. Sadie…" He turned to his Squire. "Please, come with me. There's something I'd like to show you."

"If I refuse, will you go there anyway?" Sadie asked, folding her arms.

"Yes," Eizen answered.

"Fine, then," she huffed. "I'll come."

"Thank you," Eizen breathed. Then he turned to his seraphim and added, "If you guys could walk with us, instead of resting inside me, I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure thing," Sahra shrugged.

With that, Eizen turned south and started following the shore around the lake. It didn't take much guesswork to figure out where he was going, but of course, Sadie, Sahra, and Lucine all had to follow him closely.

Stepping into the shade of the eastern forest felt oddly surreal to Edna; the treehouse was gone, it wasn't their home anymore, yet they were following the familiar old path as though nothing had happened. Her steps slowed, and she soon fell behind the procession. Next thing she knew, she was almost alone…except for Zaveid.

"You alright there, sweetie?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she stated. "It's just…weird, to take this path again, after everything that's happened."

"I'm sure Eizen has his reasons," Zaveid shrugged.

"Yeah."

They walked together, their allies still clearly visible up ahead, and Edna eyed the procession. "Hey, Zaveid? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Zaveid responded.

"What's Lucine's true name?"

"Ooh," Zaveid winced, tipping his hat. "Sorry, babe, I can't tell ya that. When I made the Sub Lord pact, she made all three of us promise we'd never tell you or Sahra what it was, and, well, I keep my promises. Besides, it's not polite to reveal a lady's secrets."

Edna rolled her eyes. "Is it really that bad of a true name?" she asked.

"Honestly…no," Zaveid answered, sounding slightly perplexed. "I mean, it's a little odd, maybe, but I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Hmm." _So it's not the same true name Theodora had,_ Edna concluded, _or one that suggests some sort of curse._ Her eyes fell on the water seraph again - her spear, her posture, what little of herself she'd shared since joining them. And her hair…It wasn't common among seraphim for the lighter tone to come at the ends of their hair…

Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place, and Edna chuckled.

"What?" Zaveid asked.

"I think I know who she is," Edna smirked.

"…Yeah?" Zaveid pressed when she didn't elaborate. "Well then, by all means, do tell."

"It's not polite to reveal a lady's secrets," Edna snipped at him. When he laughed, she added, "But don't worry; if I'm right, she'll come around and tell us once she realizes she's not nearly as useless as she thinks she is."

"So she's _not_ useless?" Zaveid questioned.

"No," Edna shrugged, "she just has an inferiority complex. She'll get over it. Probably."

"Huh." Edna glanced over and saw the wind seraph rub his chin. "I mean…it's kinda hard to believe you'd know someone I don't know…" he said slowly.

"Did you really think that would work on me?" she snickered.

"Hey, you can't blame me for trying," he grinned.

"I know you too well."

"And yet not nearly as well as I wish you did," he remarked nastily.

"Keep dreaming, perv," Edna grumbled. "I have a boyfriend now."

"Oh, so now Isan _is_ your boyfriend?" Zaveid teased.

"Yup. Officially."

"Yeah?" he snickered nastily. "And how exactly did you two make it official?"

Already in the rhythm of sparring with Zaveid, Edna didn't even think twice about her answer: "We exchanged true names."

Zaveid didn't reply. Instead, his bootsteps slowed in the undergrowth of the eastern forest, then stopped, and Edna looked back to see all traces of mirth drain from his face.

"You…what?" he whispered.

"We exchanged true names," Edna repeated.

His eyes widened, his expression crumbling with what almost could have been called devastation. Edna blinked. Maybe she'd been a little forthcoming about this announcement - given the circumstances, it was basically the human equivalent of saying she and Isan had gotten married - but she hadn't expected him to be _this_ upset.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, trying to keep a hint of a bite in her tone. "Did you really think you ever had a chance with me?"

"I…" Zaveid shook his head, closing his eyes, and she could almost see him piece his composure, his facade, back together bit by bit, until he was able to crack a smile that he clearly didn't feel. "Of course not," he dismissed. "Congratulations, Edna. I'm…happy for ya."

He started walking again, lengthening his strides, and Edna frowned and conjured a spire of earth to block his path. "Zaveid," she said in a low voice, "what's going on?"

The wind seraph flinched back from the sudden barrier, then gave a heavy, resigned sigh. "It's nothing," he said. "It's just that…I always told your older brother I was gonna marry you someday."

"Huh?" Edna gasped, one hand reflexively going to the plushie dangling from her umbrella.

"First time I said it, it was just a jab at him, at the only person in the world he loved," Zaveid said distantly. "After all, he'd just…y'know…" _…killed Theodora._ Edna heard the words loud and clear. "After that, when we became fast friends, I'd sometimes say it again - like, if I struck out one night and we had a few drinks together, I'd say, 'Eizen, could you hurry up and turn into a dragon so I can kill you and marry your sister?' You know, stuff like that; it kind of became a running joke between us." He chuckled. "He used to punch the living daylights out of me, at least at first."

"I thought…" Edna swallowed hard. "You told me that once, but I thought you were lying about that, to get out of answering my question."

"Sweetheart, there is a world of difference between evading and actually lying," Zaveid told her, turning to face her at last with a wicked smile, "and I'm a master of it." The smile dropped. "But after a while…he stopped punching me for saying it. Sometimes he'd even…kinda nod, I thought. I didn't ask for his approval, I didn't give a damn, but then…then, right before he turned…"

Edna felt her blood run cold, and could see that Zaveid felt the same as he relived the memory.

"I remember the last thing he ever said to me," Zaveid said, his voice barely above a whisper. "He looked me straight in the eye, and he told me, 'Zaveid, old friend, it's time for you to fulfill your promise. When I become a dragon, kill me. I don't want Edna to suffer for it…and it's up to you to protect her now. If it would really make you happy to marry her, go ahead; I don't mind, as long as you always make sure she's safe and happy, too. Please, Zaveid, take care of of my little sister.'" He shook his head. "I told him he could count on me - that I wasn't about to let him live, and that I wouldn't let you suffer for his crimes, either. And then he was gone."

_My brother's last words were about me._ Though she'd always wondered about his last moments as a seraph, she had never known for sure what he was thinking, what had happened. She still didn't know what had happened, but now she knew…his last rational thoughts had been of her.

A tear leaked from her eye.

"But," Zaveid sighed, "I'm sure he'd approve of your choice, too. More so, even. Isan's a good guy, he'll treat you right…and I'm happy for you, Edna, really I am."

"I…" Edna swiped at her cheeks, forcing back her emotion. "For what it's worth," she managed, "you've done what he asked you to do. You've been a good friend to me, Zaveid, and you've always looked out for me…even if your grossness crossed the line at times."

"I appreciate that," Zaveid told her.

"Hey!"

The two older seraphim turned around to see Sahra waving at them.

"You guys coming or what?" the fire seraph called.

"Yeah, we're coming!" Zaveid replied, and he strode after their allies.

Edna followed at a trot, reeling. _My older brother gave Zaveid permission to marry me,_ she thought. _Why on earth would he do that? He _knew_ Zaveid was a perv, he must have…Maybe he felt guilty?_ She shook her head. _It doesn't matter now,_ she told herself. _I have Isan, and I was never going to agree to be with Zaveid anyway. Besides, Lucine would probably make him happier than I would…whether I'm right about her or not._

~X~

Eizen hadn't dared to even imagine what could be left of the house he'd grown up in, and when he finally entered the clearing that marked the borders of his family home, he stopped short, the breath choking from his lungs.

Grass and undergrowth grew just fine in the space, there weren't any barren patches, but of course, it had been a couple of months since the fire; all the furnishings that had stood the night of Cellie's party were gone, though, presumably all burned to cinders and washed away by the weather. The treehouse itself was a scorched husk, most of the massive tree supporting it nothing but a blackened skeleton, though a few of the highest branches still bore some leaves. It was incredible that some of the upper rooms of the treehouse actually looked almost intact, apart from being charred and covered in the crumbled remains of the roof - of course, skibus wood burned very slowly, and that had probably helped mitigate the damage that had occurred before, Eizen presumed, Mikleo's power had doused the flames. Some of the furniture inside might prove to be salvageable, but the house itself was very clearly beyond restoring.

_Home,_ Eizen thought._ The house my father built for us…is gone._

He wondered faintly if Edna's room, being further away, was untouched.

"What is this place?" Lucine asked from behind him.

Taking a breath, Eizen turned to his comrades, just in time to see Zaveid and Edna run up and join them. "This," he told them, "is where I grew up. That treehouse was my home, mine and my parents' and my sisters'. And it's…also where Niko became the Lord of Calamity."

Sahra blinked, Lucine looked down sadly, and Sadie's eyes widened as she looked over Eizen's shoulder at the wreckage. Eizen turned back around and approached the nearly-dead tree, quickly finding the fire pit around which his family had always had dinner, though the logs they'd used as seats were also gone.

"Why…are we here?" Lucine questioned.

In response, Eizen took a long, deep breath, then turned to his allies again. His eyes passed over his seraphim, then went to his Squire. "Sadie," said, "there's something I need you to understand. I know we've only been traveling together for a couple of weeks, but…I want you to hear me out, if you can. Can you do that?"

Sadie blinked. "I, uh…" she stammered.

Edna tapped one boot against the ground, and two roughly-chair-shaped rock formations erupted from the earth nearby, facing each other. "Sit down," the earth seraph said. "Both of you."

Nodding his thanks, Eizen took a seat, and he gestured for Sadie to do the same. Slowly, hesitantly, the Squire walked over to Edna's creation and sat.

"Everyone," Eizen said, looking at his seraphim, "I need some time alone with Sadie. Could you all please…go somewhere else, for a little bit?"

"Come with me," Edna told them; "I'll show you where I've been living." Without waiting for a response, the smallest member of their group strode forward, around the old dining spot, and into the forest beyond; after a moment, Zaveid, Sahra, and Lucine followed her. Then, the two humans were alone.

"What's this about?" Sadie asked, folding her arms uncomfortably, her eyes darting around as she looked at everything other than her Shepherd.

"This place was my home," Eizen began, "and my mother always used to say that home is a place where we can always feel safe. Many times, she told me and my sisters, and my dad, and Edna and Zaveid, that as long as we were here, we didn't have to put on the masks and armor we developed to cope with living out in the world, that we could be open and honest with each other here and know that we were in no danger. I brought you here because this is a place of honesty, Sadie, and I need you to know…I need you to know the truth about the family you saved yesterday."

She winced, but still didn't look at him.

"Edna told you this story when you first joined us," Eizen pressed on, "but she gave you a very brief summary, and I don't think you were really in a place where you could listen to what she did say back then. But yesterday, you…you saved my father, Sadie. You saved my family, you're the reason we're together again - apart from Niko, but I don't think Niko wants to be counted as part of our family. You didn't have to do what you did, so I want you to understand what it means to us. I want you to understand who my family really is."

He waited a moment, but Sadie said nothing, her eyes now fixed on a spot in front of her boots. Still, he got the sense that she was in fact listening, and he took a breath, then plunged into the story.

"My mother grew up in a small village far to the east, not far from where we are now, a village called Aball…"

~X~

Edna was relieved to find that the fire hadn't spread to the building she'd been living in for the last eighteen years. _Mikleo must have acted fast to keep the fire from moving into the forest itself,_ she thought. _I wonder if that was the last good thing he ever did…_

"This is yours, Edna?" Sahra inquired.

"Yup," she replied. "Rokurou built it for me himself, and everything in it, according to my specifications." She chuckled, remembering. "I had a little fun being picky about it, but he took everything in stride, determined to make my home as perfect as possible. For a swordsman, he wasn't half bad as an architect."

"Master Rokurou built this?" Sahra asked, blinking in surprise.

"He built that treehouse, too," Edna informed her. "Always bragged about how this was the only house to have ever been built using the Rangetsu style…though I think he just liked saying that."

"I…never thought the Rangetsu style could be used to build," Sahra said, almost wonderingly. "Can I see inside?"

"Nope," Edna replied; "no one's allowed in my room."

"You let Eizen in there a couple times," Zaveid pointed out.

"Yeah," Edna conceded, leaning against one wall, "but that was only ever when we had sleepovers. A lady's chambers are her own, to not be defiled by any she deems unworthy."

Zaveid snickered, and Edna frowned at him.

"So…"

Everyone turned to Lucine, who was grasping her forearm timidly.

"This is…the place where the Lord of Calamity came to be?" she asked them.

"Sure is," Zaveid replied, and the other three seraphim took more relaxed spots around the space, though only Lucine sat down on a nearby rock. "If I had to guess, I'd say this is where Sorey died, too."

"The Shepherd died _here_?" Sahra asked.

"Sorey, Lailah, and Mikleo came here as soon as Eizen managed to get to the Sanctuary and tell them there was a new Lord of Calamity," Edna said tonelessly. "The fact that the fire that burned down the treehouse didn't spread means Mikleo probably used his power to douse the flames, so, yeah, Sorey probably died in that clearing."

"And then the two seraphim with him turned into dragons," Sahra mused, fiddling with her braid. "Do you think they turned first, or did Shepherd Sorey die and then the seraphim turned? Probably the latter, right, since he was their vessel? Was he still their vessel?"

"Yeah," Zaveid shrugged, "he was still technically the Shepherd, even if he was retired, more or less. The way I see it, whatever went down, Sorey probably died first, then Mikboy turned at the sight of his dead lover, and then Lailah was overwhelmed by all the malevolence and turned after him."

"His lover?" Lucine piped up, lifting her head. "Shepherd Sorey…had a lover?"

"Sure," Zaveid smirked. "A water seraph named Mikleo. The two of 'em grew up together."

"And Mikleo…was a girl?" Lucine asked.

"Nope," Zaveid replied, "they were both boys."

"But…!" Lucine's violet eyes widened in alarm, and Edna smirked, certain she was right about the seraph's identity.

"Hey, it ain't that weird," Zaveid told her lightly.

"Says the last person in the world to be clued in on their relationship," Edna remarked drily. She glanced at Lucine and said, "Don't worry, Zaveid took a while to catch on, too. He kept trying to help Sorey get with girls, not realizing Sorey had no interest in women. It was funny to watch."

"Yeah, that sounds like Zaveid," Sahra chuckled; "oblivious to what's right in front of him, as always."

"To be fair, we did have more important things to worry about when we were his Sub Lords," Edna conceded. "They were much more open about their relationship after Sorey came back with Maotelus, and Zaveid…well, he figured it out eventually." She shrugged.

"I don't really get it, personally," Zaveid admitted, "but hey, it's not my place to judge. They were happy together, and that's what matters. 'Course, I could never imagine seeing a pretty lady and not even being a little interested."

"Don't knock something before you try it," Sahra taunted.

To Edna's surprise, Zaveid smirked. "Who says I haven't?" he retaliated.

"Have you?" Edna exclaimed.

"I'd hate to kiss and tell," Zaveid shrugged, still smirking, and Edna blinked in shock. "But I can tell you with certainty, I know what I like. My body is meant for the ladies."

Shaking her head, trying to dismiss any possibility that he wasn't just joking around - and, more terrifyingly, any thoughts of exactly who he might have experimented with if he was serious - Edna deflected by grumbling, "And all three of your Sub Lords are the stuff of your dreams, right?"

"Yep," Zaveid chuckled. "I'm a lucky, lucky-ass Prime Lord."

"_Ugh_," Sahra groaned. "I feel bad about agreeing to the pact when you put it like that."

"You should be," Edna told her, mostly teasingly. "When we heard about the Fire Angel, everyone who knew about you kept talking about how pretty you were. What was it Alken called her, Zaveid? A 'vision of loveliness'?"

"A vision of loveliness, huh?" Sahra laughed, and she turned a sharp gaze on Zaveid. "Do I live up to the hype?"

For a brief moment, Edna could swear Sahra's leaf-green eyes flashed in the sunlight, and Zaveid shrugged. "Well, I mean, I've seen prettier-"

Suddenly, Zaveid slapped his hand over his mouth, his orange eyes wide.

"What the hell?!" he mumbled through his palm. "Why did I say that?"

Sahra was laughing, but Edna straightened up and walked over to stand beside the fire seraph, her eyes narrowing. "Hey Sahra," she said, "can you do something for me?"

"Huh?" Sahra blinked and turned to Edna. "What's up?"

"I'm going to ask Zaveid a question," Edna said; "while I do, make sure you're facing away from him. Then, after he answers, turn back around and cross-examine him, okay? I want to test something."

"Uh…sure," Sahra shrugged, and she turned around.

Edna glared at Zaveid. "Zaveid, why do you think Forsea was mad enough at you to want you dead even after she turned into a dragon?" she asked him.

Clearly unsure where this was going, Zaveid gave a bewildered shake of his head. "Beats me," he replied. "I mean, sure, I broke her in, but she knew I wasn't gonna stick around - I asked her if that was okay, and she said yes. It's her own fault."

This added factor to the situation that Edna hadn't been aware of before made her feel sick, but she looked at Sahra's back. "Okay," she told the fire seraph, "your turn."

The former human turned and met Zaveid's eyes. "You don't think you wronged her at all?" she demanded, clearly as grossed out by Zaveid's casual dismissal of what he'd taken from Forsea as Edna was. "You don't think you're to blame, not even a little?"

Once again, those green eyes seemed to glow for a moment. "I mean," Zaveid replied, "I made sure she was already too into it to say no by the time I asked, but-" He cut off, clapping a hand over his mouth again. "What the _hell_?!" he exclaimed. "Why am I saying this stuff?!"

"Fascinating," Edna said dully, her focus still on the fire seraph who was scowling at their Prime Lord. "Whenever your eyes get all glow-y, the people you're talking to feel compelled to tell the whole truth."

"Wait, my eyes glow?!" Sahra yelped, turning to Edna.

"Yup," Edna replied. "I noticed it when you were asking about my date with Isan, too." She frowned, unconsciously gripping the little nor doll dangling from her umbrella. "Although, he _was_ able to bold-facedly lie to you last night, so maybe it's not that you make people tell the truth…then again, he went in _intending_ to lie…"

"But I didn't do anything!" Sahra protested. "I swear, I didn't make my eyes glow or - or cast any sort of arte!"

"Well, then maybe it's your blessing," Edna shrugged. "You have one now, since you're a seraph."

"My blessing?" Sahra asked, toying with her braid. "I…I guess I do have one, as a seraph, huh? I never really considered that." She frowned thoughtfully. "People can still lie to me, I know they can…but…my true name is Vuswos Kakwa…Maybe that has something to do with it - maybe I force people to be honest, not necessarily with me, but with _themselves_. _Inner_ truth, not expressed truth."

"What a terrifying blessing."

Everyone turned to see Lucine gazing up at Sahra with wide eyes.

"If you're right, such a blessing mustn't be used lightly," the water seraph breathed. "No one in this world could possibly survive without being able to lie to themselves sometimes. Please, Sahra, be careful with that power."

"We _could_ be careful with it," Edna mused, and she smirked and looked at Zaveid. "Or we could have a little fun with our Prime Lord while we're waiting for Eizen and Sadie to finish talking."

"Well now hold on-" Zaveid began, taking a step back, his hands raised.

But it was too late; Sahra was already turning on him. "So I'm not the prettiest girl you've ever seen, huh?" she taunted him. "Who is, then? Is it Lucine?"

Her green eyes flashed, and Zaveid groaned. "Oh come on, babe, that ain't fair!" he exclaimed.

"What a boring question," Edna remarked, and she took a step forward. "Hey Zaveid, did you really care about Dezel, or was he just a means for you to score girls?"

"Of course I cared about him!" Zaveid exclaimed as Sahra's blessing dug up the truth. "He was my boy, and I lo-_gah_!" His hands went to his head, clutching his temples.

"Score girls?" Sahra repeated; Edna glanced over and saw her eyes flash again.

"I mean, a man uses what he's got," Zaveid said defensively, "and plenty of stoic ladies melted at the sight of a child, I wasn't gonna not take advantage of it! But I raised Dezel as best I could, and I don't regret a moment I spent with-_AAAAGH_!" The wind seraph stumbled back a step, still clutching his head, as though in pain.

"What about this big, awful sin you committed?" Edna asked, chuckling at his distress. "Is it really so bad that it excuses everything else you've ever done?"

"I don't wanna play this game anymore!" Zaveid snapped, still gripping his temples. "I'm not gonna answer any more questions!"

"Big sin?" Sahra sneered. "Come on, Zaveid, like you've ever done anything else?"

"_Stop it_!"

The shout came, not from Zaveid, but from their other ally, and Sahra and Edna were suddenly faced with a wall of blue as Lucine threw herself between Zaveid and the two girls who were interrogating him, her spear drawn and aimed at them both.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves, abusing your Heaven-granted powers like this!" Lucine shouted, her eyes glistening. "Can't you see you're torturing him?! If you really can't amuse yourselves without abusing your gifts to torment someone, then use them to torment me; just _leave him alone_!"

Sahra stared.

Edna stared.

Over Lucine's shoulder, Zaveid stared, with what looked like twice as much shock as Edna was feeling.

Silence stretched between them all for a long minute. Lucine glanced back to look at Zaveid, and she gasped as their eyes met, wincing. Then her grip on her spear tightened, and she turned back to Sahra and Edna, determination sparking in her violet irises. Still, no one spoke.

Finally, Zaveid cleared his throat, shattering the quiet.

"Sahra," he sighed, "can I talk to you, please? Alone?"

"Me?" Sahra asked, blinking. "Why me?"

"I'll tell ya once we're somewhere more private," Zaveid said, though his typical flirty tone sounded oddly forced. He strode for the trees without waiting for a response. "Come on."

The girls stared at his retreating back for a long minute.

"You should go," Lucine told Sahra at last. "This is really important to him."

"How do you know?" Sahra asked her.

"I just…do," she replied. "Don't you?" She holstered her spear across her back, the blade poking over her left shoulder.

"You _are_ a fire seraph, strong against wind," Edna pointed out to Sahra; "if he tries anything, Prime Lord or no, you could always fight him off."

"I don't think it will come to that," Lucine insisted. "Please, Sahra, go see what he has to say."

"Uh…" Sahra shook her head, then looked at where Zaveid stood waiting, his back still turned. "Alright then," she sighed resignedly. "Fine."

She followed Zaveid, and soon, Lucine and Edna were alone.

Edna frowned after them. She desperately wanted to go, to see whatever it was Zaveid was up to, but since he could read the wind, if she followed him, he would know. If only there was some way to…

Suddenly, she gave a small gasp. _Of course._

"Edna?" Lucine asked as Edna ducked under the trees, at an angle from the direction Zaveid and Sahra had gone. "Where are you going?"

"To check on something," Edna replied. "Stay here, okay?"

Without waiting for the water seraph to agree, she trotted out of sight.

~X~

"…and they've been here ever since, raising me and my sisters, trying to heal from what they went through and make sure nothing like that ever happened to us," Eizen finished. Even though he'd given Sadie the shortest version he could, the rundown had taken the rest of the morning.

Sadie sat silently, her face blank as she looked anywhere but at him.

"Sadie," Eizen said gently, "do you understand? My parents…they're not bad people. They just…went through a lot, and they've done their best to come back from it all."

In response, Sadie stood up and turned her back to Eizen. She still didn't speak.

"Sadie?" Eizen got to his feet and took a step closer to her.

"It doesn't matter," she said, her voice toneless. "Your parents caused the calamity - the Age of Calamity dawned because of them."

"They only did it because they loved each other," Eizen pointed out, "and even then, it was an accident."

"But everyone would have been happier if they hadn't!" Sadie snapped. Was she crying?

Eizen blinked. "Sadie…Why does your family hate hellions so much?" he asked. "It…has something to do with your sister, right? Selana?"

The Squire gasped and turned around to face him, and yes, there was a tear rolling down her left cheek.

"Tell me about Selana," Eizen prompted. "I told you my family's story, because I wanted you to understand; now tell me yours, so _I_ can understand. I want to know…where you're coming from, Sadie. Please…tell me."

Hastily swiping at her eyes, Sadie tried to glower at him, though she didn't really succeed. "Fine," she spat. "Fine, I'll tell you. When I was a year old, I had an older sister named Selana; she was twelve, and I might not remember her, but my parents say that she was…I mean, she drove them a little nuts sometimes, but she was still their daughter. Then, when the calamity struck, she turned out to be a gremlin hellion.

"We were a wealthy family back then, we lived in the upper-class district - my father was a high-ranking knight, and my mother ran an apothecary where she grew and sold herbs - so we were among some of the first to be reached by the Shepherd Sorey and his seraphim as they tried to fix the damage. They quelled my sister and moved on, and my parents thought everything was fine. But not even two days later, Selana turned back into a hellion, and by then, the Shepherd and his allies had left Ladylake and were trying to tend to the rest of Glenwood."

_That's why you thought purification wasn't permanent when we started,_ Eizen remembered, but he kept his mouth shut, letting her talk.

"My parents tried to keep Selana isolated until someone with the power of purification came back to purify her again," Sadie went on, "but my sister just couldn't stand being ugly, so instead of waiting…she killed herself."

Eizen gasped. "Oh my gods!" he exclaimed. "Sadie, I'm so sorry!"

"You're _sorry_?!" Sadie sneered, another tear leaking from her dark brown eyes. "My parents were _destroyed_! They lost their daughter, and then they lost everything else - no one would trust a knight or an herbalist with a hellion daughter who'd rather kill herself than be quelled! My father was demoted to the lowest ranks, my mother's shop went out of business, and I can't once remember seeing either of them smile!" Her face hardened. "With nothing else to do, my mother started spending all her time in the Sanctuary, worshipping the seraphim and praying to them - we've all tried to be as devout in our worship as possible ever since, in an attempt to regain our social standing as a good, honest family. So…she was there, when your parents went to the Great Lord Maotelus to be purified."

"And that's how your family knew it was my parents' fault that this happened," Eizen finished.

Sadie nodded. "You did this to us. Your family did this to us! We lost everything because of your parents!"

"Sadie…" Eizen shook his head, desperately scrambling for the words that would both validate her losses and explain why she was wrong. "Your sister…she…she made her own choices in life," he managed. "If she turned back after she was quelled, that means she chose to go back to whatever ways made her turn in the first place. She was always a hellion, Sadie, the calamity just opened people's eyes to what was already there. And…she chose to kill herself rather than be better. My parents didn't make that choice for her, the only thing they did was-"

"Don't tell me my sister died because your parents _loved each other_," Sadie snarled. "Your mother was the Lord of Calamity! You expect me to believe people like that know anything about love?!"

"Do _you_ know anything about love?" Eizen couldn't help asking. It was a cruel question, but he was fed up - he'd shared the most personal story he knew, a story he hadn't even told David in full, and she was still blaming his family for her sister's decisions.

Sadie drew her battleax. "I won't believe that the people who ruined my parents' lives know anything about family," she snapped. "I refuse, Eizen!"

"I…" Eizen shook his head, then gestured to the burned remains of the treehouse. "The proof is right here. My father built this place with his own two swords for my mother, and added to it every time one of us was going to be born. Both he and my mother were always here for us - my whole life, I've never seen them do anything that wasn't for us or each other."

"And what about when they weren't in front of you?" Sadie demanded. "What then?"

"I mean, I don't really know what they did in private, but-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Sadie was dashing for the charred husk of the Rangetsu-Crowe household. Alarmed, Eizen ran after her.

~X~

Edna's bare feet padded against the undergrowth of the forest floor. She felt naked and exposed without her keepsakes of her older brother, but an oath like the one she'd taken required a relatively sizable sacrifice - seraphic oaths were equal parts give and take, after all.

The earth below her told her where the wind seraph and fire seraph she was pursuing were, and she ran as fast as she could while still being quiet - she was invisible to the eye and the wind, but not to the ear, that had been too much to ask in exchange. Still, it seemed Zaveid was taking Sahra a fair distance away, maybe just to make sure they wouldn't be overheard, and the further they went, the more Edna was convinced she was doing the right thing.

When her quarry finally came to a stop, the earth beneath her feet told her of their slowing footsteps, and though she knew she couldn't be seen, Edna started hiding behind trees and bushes as she darted close to where they were. After a minute, the voices of her Prime Lord and his Sub Lord reached her ears.

"-hear me out before you say no," Zaveid was saying.

"I'm listening," Sahra responded, and Edna didn't have to look to see her fold her arms.

As Edna poked out from behind a small tree and caught sight of Zaveid and Sahra facing each other in a clearing, Zaveid stepped closer to the fire seraph. "I need you to let me kiss you-"

"_No_!" Sahra shouted.

"-while Lucine's watching," Zaveid finished firmly.

"Huh?" Sahra blinked, bewildered, and Edna frowned.

"Just lemme give you a kiss," Zaveid smirked, "that's all I ask. You can slap me or stab me or burn me or whatever you want afterwards, just let me put on a show first."

Sahra shook her head slowly, "There is _so_ much wrong with what you just said, I don't even know where to start," she informed him. "Why are you even trying to pull this crap with Lucine? You don't have to make her jealous, she's already crazy about you."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I know. And that's the problem."

"_What_?"

"Look, I see the way Lucine looks at me," Zaveid shrugged. "Like I'm…you know…like I'm something more than I am. Something better. And I can't have her thinking that about me, she needs to know who I really am. But I know her type; girls like her just want to believe the best in everyone, like they're the whole world's mother. You gotta be clear with chicks like that, and that's where you come in. She won't believe my words, but maybe she'll believe my actions, so if you help me, I can put on a show that'll make her understand that I'm nothing but scum and she'll stop…looking at me like that. As long as she thinks I'm someone I'm not, she's just setting herself up for heartbreak, and believe it or not, I don't actually enjoy breaking hearts."

"But you do it," Sahra pointed out. "You did to Forsea, and probably a lot of other girls."

"Yeah," Zaveid conceded, "but Forsea had it within her power to not fall for me, I never lied to her and she could have used better judgment. Lucine…ain't that kinda girl. She already thinks I'm…" He shook his head. "Well, you saw just now. She thinks I'm the kind of person who deserves to be defended. I ain't, but she won't see that without a lot of convincing. So, I need to convince her, and to do that, I need your help."

Tugging at her braid, Sahra frowned. "What's weird is that I actually agree with most of what you're saying," she told him. "But no way am I letting you kiss me. There is something I will do, though."

"Oh yeah?" Zaveid smirked. "And what's that?"

"I'll talk to her," Sahra stated.

"You'll _talk_ to her?" Zaveid repeated incredulously. "Like, with words? I don't think that'll work…"

"Maybe it wouldn't work for you," Sahra said, "but if she and I talk woman-to-woman, she'll listen to me. Like I said last night, you don't understand girl talk, but she does; I promise, I can get her to see you as a jerk."

"Maybe," Zaveid mused, "but I still think my idea was more fun."

"You're not kissing me, Zaveid," Sahra scoffed; "you're not my type. Just wait here - I'll talk to her right now."

"For the record, I can be whatever you want me to be, baby," Zaveid told her as she turned to go.

Edna thought of what Sahra had told her in Lamorak Cave about exactly what her type was, and had to work hard to stifle a chuckle.

"I doubt that," Sahra snickered. She took a few steps away, then stopped and looked back thoughtfully. "You know, Zaveid," she remarked, "I'm impressed. I didn't know you had this kind of self-awareness."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, sweetheart," Zaveid told her.

"And I'm sure I'm much happier for it," she commented, walking away at last.

Edna waited until Sahra had a good head start before following her, so she heard Zaveid's heavy sigh once the fire seraph was out of earshot.

"Damn right you are," he muttered to no one.

~X~

_Thank the gods for skibus wood,_ Eizen thought as he chased Sadie through the charred remains of his childhood home - though the walls were brittle, and the entirety of the lower levels were full of ash, all the floors and stairs were still solid enough to support a person's weight, though Eizen wouldn't have trusted them with much more than himself and Sadie. When nothing of any interest managed to jump out at Sadie for the first few husks of rooms, she'd kept going, and Eizen wondered what exactly she might be looking for amid all the destruction.

At last, they reached the top floor. "This was the living room, and the room over there was my parents' bedroom," he told Sadie, gesturing to the empty doorway. The smell of ash tickled his throat, but he ignored it, focusing on the golden-haired girl who was invading his house.

"Their bedroom," Sadie growled, and she dashed through the charred doorframe.

Eizen followed, and was surprised to see that a lot of the room was all but untouched, blackened but sturdy - the far wall had burned to cinders, and the bed itself was covered in charred scraps, but apart from that and the roof, it was all intact; the rest of the furniture was recognizable, and to one side, the wardrobe stood tall. Sadie started tearing through the place, through the charred cabinets and bedside tables, before turning on the wardrobe itself.

"Sadie," Eizen began, stepping forward to try and block her. "I think that's private-"

She shoved him aside and lunged for the doors, throwing the dresser open. Inside, there were drawers and shelves, and some clothes hung on the more open half, including several of Rokurou's kimonos. Under the hanging clothes was a very old-looking chest, and as Sadie started ripping the drawers open, Eizen found himself drawn to the incongruous box. It looked remarkably clear of dust for a wooden chest that seemed halfway rotted, and he was reaching for it before Sadie even noticed.

"What's that?" the Squire demanded suddenly.

"I…I don't know," Eizen answered, carefully pulling it out and onto the blackened floor.

"Well, let's see, then," she huffed, and she reached over to take it from him.

He pushed her hand away. "I'll open it," he told her. "Just…stand back a moment, okay? You can look, but don't touch, I don't want this to break."

His Squire growled, but when he glanced over his shoulder at her, she had folded her arms. Taking a breath, he turned back to the chest and opened it.

Inside, all folded and rolled up neatly, were red and black scraps of clothing and belts on the left side, a blue tunic and rough-spun brown pants on the right side, and a mound of white bandages between the two. Eizen's eyes widened as he gently touched a few fingers to the bandages, then ran his hand over the tough materials of the tattered clothes on the left. He recognized all of it.

"This…is what my parents used to wear," Eizen breathed. "These belts and scraps of cloth were my mother's outfit when she fought Shepherd Artorius, and…these must be the bandages that covered her therion claw. The other clothes must be what my father wore after he faked his death." He touched the blue tunic, noticing a stain on the front that didn't look like blood. Dumbfounded, he shook his head. "Why would my parents keep these?"

"It's a memory box."

Surprised, Eizen turned to Sadie, whose eyes were wide as she dropped to her knees, staring at the chest's contents.

"My parents have one too," she said softly. "A box full of all the things that remind them of Selana. I know my mother opens it and looks inside every day. My father keeps paintings of Selana as they last saw her before the calamity in every room, but…but when they really want to remember her, they open the memory box. It's what they do…to remember, what happened to our family."

"To remember," Eizen repeated thoughtfully, looking at the relics of his parents' past again. "If my parents kept these things in order to remember…it must be so that they don't forget their mistakes, and so don't repeat them."

"In other words…to learn from the past, and move on," Sadie said, and Eizen looked at her in surprise. "Whereas my parents remember in order to _cling_ to their past, and not let it go."

"Your parents went through hell, Sadie," Eizen told her gently. "I won't deny that. But I don't think they handled it well."

"Your parents went through hell too," she said distantly. "And they handled it even worse than my parents did…at first. But…now they've found a way to move forward."

They sat there for a long minute as this revelation sank in. Eizen turned and ran his fingers over the mound of bandages again. He had seen, through his uncle's illusory artes, the way those bandages had covered his mother's left arm from shoulder to fingertip, but to actually see them _here_, for them to be real and tangible and right in front of him, drove the point home, in ways even seeing the story recreated never had. His mother had been the Lord of Calamity once, yet she had fought her way back from the depths of despair to rebuild her life, to build a family, to find happiness again. The power to do that…was what he was fighting for. _My answer was sitting in my own house all along…_

"Eizen."

Eizen turned to Sadie, and saw that her eyes were glistening with fresh tears.

"I'm sorry," she told him, and he blinked. "I always judged you for your family, but…it looks like our families had a lot more in common than I thought. And…yours is the better one."

"No," he told her, turning around to face her, "not better. My parents just…handled things differently than yours did. I mean, like you said, at first, they handled it a lot worse, but they also…well, they've had more time to figure things out than yours have. That's all."

Sadie closed her eyes and shook her head. "You've always been so kind to me," she said softly. "No matter how horrible I am to you, you've always defended me, always tried to look out for me and…and believe in me." Her brown eyes opened again to meet his gaze. "Why do you always believe in me?" she asked in a pained whisper.

A sudden urge to tell her the whole truth - that he loved her passionately and would never have eyes for any other girl - seized Eizen for a moment, and he took a breath and fought it down. _Telling her wouldn't do anyone any good,_ he reminded himself. "Because…" he answered hesitantly. "Because…I know you can be more than the girl who's always mean to me. You're…You're a good person, Sadie, you're strong and smart and brave and kind. You've just…been raised to think certain ways. I could never blame you for that."

"Eizen…" Her lip trembled, and it suddenly occurred to Eizen that they were kneeling very close together - had had to, to both look at the contents of the old chest.

Despite everything he knew, everything he'd told his family, when Sadie leaned closer to him, he moved closer to her, too. His eyes fluttered closed, and he could feel her breath on his lips…

"No."

Suddenly, Sadie's hand shoved at his chest, and she stood up, turning away from him.

"I can't, Eizen," she said, her voice pained. "I'm engaged to Sir Leybon, and I have to marry him."

In the couple of weeks since leaving Ladylake, Eizen had all but forgotten about her arranged marriage. He stood up. "You don't have to marry him if you don't want to, Sadie," he reminded her; "arranged marriages are against Hyland law."

"I _have_ to marry him," she insisted, her hands clenching into fists. "Marrying him is the only way I can restore my family's honor. My parents are scraping by on almost nothing now, Eizen; if I don't marry Sir Leybon, they'll spend the rest of their lives as little more than beggars!"

"But do you love him?" Eizen asked. "Does he love you? Would marrying him make you happy?"

"That doesn't matter," she stated. "My parents gave me life, and it's my responsibility as their daughter to salvage their reputation."

"They gave you life, so it's _their_ responsibility to make sure you'd be happy," Eizen countered. "It's like uncle Zaveid said-"

"He doesn't understand!" Sadie sobbed. "I love my parents, Eizen, and they love me, and that's what matters! If I call off the wedding, I'd never be able to face them again. This is their only chance to ever be happy."

"If they really loved you, they'd rather see you happy than regain their social standing," Eizen said.

"But how could I be happy, while they're miserable?"

If there was an argument to this, Eizen couldn't think of it.

For a minute, they stood there, in the scorched ruins of a house a man had built himself for his wife and children, the mementos of a former Lord of Calamity bared to the afternoon sky in an open chest. Sighing, Eizen bent down, closed the memory box, and put it back - he couldn't put the whole wardrobe back together, but this one thing, at least, felt sacred enough to treat with respect.

"If you're really determined to go through with the wedding, I won't try to stop you, Sadie," he said at last. "It's your choice. And whatever you do, I'll be here for you…not just as the Shepherd, but as your friend. If you'll let me."

When he turned back around, Sadie was facing him, and as their eyes met once more, she nodded. Then she gave a humorless chuckle. "My parents would be furious if they knew you were my friend," she remarked.

"Well, good thing I don't need their permission to be a friend to you," Eizen teased.

And they laughed. It was the first time he'd ever made Sadie laugh, and the fact that she did so without fear was more than enough for Eizen.

"Let's…get to the Lefay Shrine now," Sadie said at last. "We need to take the Water Trial and stop the Lord of Calamity. Once that's done, we…we can figure out where we go from there."

"Right," Eizen nodded, and they made their way back out of the burned treehouse together.

~X~

When Edna made it back to the spot by the stream where she'd left Lucine, she found their water seraph sitting on the riverbank, her sandals at her side, her skirt lifted to her knees, dipping her feet in the brook while she coaxed little strands of water to come off the surface and weave into braids. She seemed content, for the first time since they'd met her, and Edna wondered at it.

"Hey, Lucine!"

Sahra's call caused the water seraph to release the bits of water she'd been playing with, which splashed back down into the flowing stream, and turn her head. "Sahra," she greeted as the fire seraph walked over to her and perched on a nearby rock. "What did Zaveid want?"

"The same thing he always does," Sahra shrugged. "It's no biggie. Listen…I was hoping we could talk. You know, one girl to another."

"O-Of course," Lucine nodded, albeit nervously, all her calm contentedness gone.

"So, listen…" Sahra sighed and sat back. "I notice you've been kinda…y'know…interested in Zaveid, since we met you."

A blush crept into Lucine's porcelain cheeks, but she nodded evenly. "He's a…very interesting person," she said.

"That's one word for it," Sahra chuckled. "Come on, Lucine, you know what I mean. You've barely been able to take your eyes off him, and you leapt to his defense a little while ago without him even asking."

"You were tormenting him," Lucine said, her soft voice taking on an uncharacteristically cold edge. "We were given powers when we came into being, powers we derive from the Heavenly Realm, and you abused yours to cause someone pain."

"But would you have been that mad if it had been anyone else?" Sahra asked pointedly. She shook her head, her white-tipped braid flying. "Look, never mind, that's not the point here. Maybe Edna and I got a little carried away, and I'm sorry it upset you, but Zaveid…well…he's not really someone you should defend like that."

"I beg your pardon?" Lucine responded.

With a heavy sigh, Sahra stopped beating around the bush. "I know you're into him," she said resignedly. "Like, you think you're falling in love with him, maybe. And I…well, let me put it this way: Zaveid isn't the kind of guy you should get attached to like that."

Lucine tilted her head, then winced. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "Are you two…?"

"Who, me and Zaveid? No!" Sahra laughed. "Gods, no! That's not what I mean. I just mean that Zaveid isn't type to get involved on an emotional level. He doesn't care about people like that, Lucine, he's the…you know, love-'em-and-leave-'em type? Once he gets what he wants from you, he'll break your heart and walk away laughing. If he's ever given a girl more than a one-night stand, I'll eat my hair."

_I wonder if your hair tastes good,_ Edna thought, smiling to herself.

But Lucine seemed to be pondering this statement very seriously. "He would…hurt me?" she asked. "Hurt…anyone?"

"Sure," Sahra shrugged. "Weren't you paying attention to the stuff he said?"

"Um…" Lucine frowned. "I can't remember what he said. I only remember the pain saying it caused him."

"He was talking about a woman he hurt, and it took my blessing to make him admit that it really was his doing," Sahra said pointedly. "That's what he does, Lucine, that's just who he is. He can be flattering, but he doesn't care about…anything, really. Don't get me wrong, I've learned since becoming his Sub Lord that he's a good comrade and can even be an okay friend at times, but as anything more than that, he just…doesn't have the kind of heart to be the sort of guy you deserve."

"Hmm." Lucine's violet eyes turned back to the water, kicking her feet just under the clear surface. "That's not the impression I get of him."

"Well, it's who he is," Sahra insisted. "Trust me, I've run into him several times over the centuries, and all he ever does is hit on me, totally forgetting that I've already turned him down. That woman we were talking about, the one he hurt? He seduced and then abandoned her, and she turned into a dragon we had to fight off in the southern corner of the Rolance Empire a few days ago; after the fight, he actually had the nerve to say that it was incredible that he even remembered her at all! You know a guy who can say that has seduced more girls than you or I would ever care to count, all of whom mean nothing to him, and I don't want you to be just another passing fancy on his hit list, okay?"

The water seraph _hmm_ed again, frowning, her eyes soft and distant. "I don't think you know everything about him," she said softly. "When I look at him, I can't shake the sense that he's in terrible pain, constantly, as though he's been carrying a horrible burden for hundreds upon hundreds of years and can't ever let it go. I'm not oblivious to his behavior, but in everything he does, it seems to me that he's only searching for something to ease his pain for a moment, however temporary the relief might be; that's what I sense he's really after when he…says things, to women, and whenever he cracks a joke, I get the feeling he only laughs so as not to cry. It breaks my heart to think he's constantly suffering, when he has only ever done his best for this team and for his family…and I want to ease his burden. No one should have to struggle through life alone."

As Sahra blinked in utter bewilderment, Edna picked her jaw up off the ground. Edna had known Zaveid for centuries without ever suspecting that there was more to him than the jerk he pretended to be, to the point where she'd been reluctant to believe it even when she'd actually learned his story; but here Lucine was, having only known him for a couple of days, and only in passing at that, yet she already had him all figured out. Zaveid had told Edna years ago that he couldn't resist a woman who could see straight into his heart, but Lucine really and truly did, she saw him for exactly who he was, even if she didn't know _why_ he was that way.

Lucine really was the answer to Edna's prayers. She wasn't just perfect for Zaveid because she happened to look like his dead girlfriend; she was perfect for him because she herself was _exactly what he needed_.

"Uh…" Sahra toyed with her braid. "I…don't know where you're getting that impression from," she said at last. "I can tell you you're wrong, though."

"Maybe," Lucine said. "But you don't know everything about him, do you?"

"I know more than you!" Sahra pointed out. "Seriously, where is this sob story coming from? Zaveid's a dirtbag!"

"I suppose I've never been a good judge of character," Lucine sighed, and Edna smirked at this statement, reassured yet again that she was right about the water seraph's identity. "But…" The water seraph turned on Sahra again. "When Shepherd Eizen fought his father, you told him about a human, one you used to be," she said slowly, "but somehow, I knew even before you said it. It explained the divide I always somehow sense in you - as if you're torn between two lives, two points of view that contradict each other, and that split leaves you tormented with questions you can't find answers to no matter how hard you think about them."

It crossed Edna's mind to cynically wonder if the sound of her jaw hitting the ground would alert the two young women to her presence. _Who the heck is this girl? Even if she is who I think she is, how is she doing this?!_

"I mean…you're not wrong about me," Sahra admitted. "But I think you're wrong about Zaveid, I really do. Look, you want to talk about abusing our Heaven-granted powers? When we passed through Lastonbell a few days ago, Edna told me about something that happened when she and Zaveid were Sorey's Sub Lords: Apparently, she, Lailah, and Rose were relaxing in the sauna, and Zaveid tried to use his winds to spy on them while they were naked."

"Oh!" Lucine jerked, her feet splashing to the surface as she turned around and met Sahra's eyes in shock. "Zaveid…really did that?" she gasped. "He would do something like that?"

"I mean, I wasn't there, but Edna seemed serious, and honestly, I'm not surprised," Sahra shrugged. "Like I said, that's the kind of guy he is. He only wants one thing from any woman, and he'll get it however he can. Edna and Rose were lucky a fire seraph was there to burn his winds away before he got to take a good look at them."

"I…I…" Lucine swallowed and bowed her head, closing her eyes as though to fight off tears. "I…see," she managed. "That's terrible. I can't believe he would…that anyone would…"

"He would and he did," Sahra stated somberly. "That's who he is, Lucine…and I don't want him to take advantage of you. We're comrades, and…I'd like us to be friends. So, I just want to make sure you know, you can trust him with your life in a fight, but you can't trust him with your heart. Falling in love with a guy like him is the worst mistake you could ever make."

"I _am_ prone to making mistakes," Lucine sighed. "Thank you for looking out for me, Sahra, I appreciate it. And…I would be happy to be your friend, if you would really have me."

_No, no, no!_ This was getting out of hand way too quickly. Edna was about to use her earth powers to disrupt the conversation when a shout interrupted all of them.

"Sahra! Lucine!"

Eizen came trotting through the forest towards the Sub Lords of water and fire.

"Hey, Eizen," Sahra greeted, standing up. "Time to go?"

"Yeah," the Shepherd replied, "it's time we get to the Lefay Shrine. Where are Edna and Zaveid?"

"Zaveid's off in the forest somewhere; I think he's talking a walk," Sahra replied. "As for Edna…I don't know. Do you know where she is, Lucine?"

"No," the water seraph answered, "she left shortly after you did and hasn't returned."

"Dang," Eizen said. "Well, if you know where Zaveid is-"

"I'll go get him for you," Sahra said readily, already headed for the woods. "And if I see Edna on the way, I'll let her know we're leaving."

"I'll help you look for Edna," Lucine declared, picking up her sandals and coming to rest inside Eizen, emerging fully-shod a moment later, as seraphim with vessels could do.

Technically, Edna could do the same if she went to where she'd left her things and picked them up, but she wanted to show Eizen, at least, what she'd done; it felt wrong to keep a secret from her baby brother. So instead, she followed him and his water seraph as they wandered into the woods and called out for her, waiting until they split up and Eizen was alone before conjuring a single stone to rise up from the ground and hover in front of him before launching in the direction she needed him to go.

"Edna?" Eizen asked, wide-eyed as he stared in the direction the rock had flown. Cautiously, he walked after the stone.

Edna repeated her trick several times, and he followed the direction of the flying rocks. It didn't take long for him to come upon the things she'd left behind, and he ran for the little mound in alarm.

"Edna?!" he called.

Invisible, Edna walked over, reached down, and picked up her necklace.

"Edna!" Eizen exclaimed, jumping about a foot in the air. "Where'd you come from?"

"I was right here," Edna replied, putting her necklace and headband back on and stepping back into her boots, lacing up the ribbons before grabbing her glove and umbrella. "Did your talk with Sadie go well?"

"Uh…" Eizen blinked, shook his head, then nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I think she's…well, I think we've done all we can for her."

Re-dressed in all her things at last, Edna placed her umbrella over her shoulder and twirled it, facing her Shepherd. "So she's realized that you're not hellion-spawn and her parents are a couple of idiots?" she asked.

"She understands now," Eizen sighed, "but she still loves her family, Edna, and I didn't want her not to. And…they have their reasons for thinking what they think. Sadie knows better now, but…well, she's still going to go through with her marriage to Sir Leybon. But besides that, she's…okay. She called me her friend, so…"

"Wow," Edna said drily, "you really got through to her. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, so, uh…what were you doing?" he asked her. "Why'd you leave all your stuff here?"

"I've been doing some damage control," Edna shrugged.

"Damage control?"

"News flash, baby brother," Edna said dully: "Zaveid's falling in love, and he's running scared from it."

"Falling in love?" Eizen repeated. "You mean…with Lucine? I noticed things have been weird between them, but…"

"Yeah, he's crazy about her, and he's trying to sabotage their relationship before it can even start because he's an idiot," Edna stated. "I'm trying to sabotage his sabotage attempts, so I did some recon while he scrambled to find a way to make her hate him."

"Uh…" Eizen frowned at her, and she could see the questions burning behind his golden eyes. "What does that have to do with you taking off your things?" was the question he finally decided on.

"Zaveid isn't the only one who can take seraphic oaths," Edna smirked. "I took an oath myself; now, as long as I'm not wearing or touching anything my older brother gave me, I'm invisible to the eyes regardless of resonance, and also invisible to the wind, so he couldn't detect me."

"So you can spy on him now?" Eizen asked.

"Yup," Edna shrugged. "Good thing, too. He's really going overboard with this garbage."

"How so?" Eizen inquired.

"Don't worry about it, baby brother," Edna told him; "I have it under control."

"I…see," Eizen replied. "Well, uh…it's time for us to head to the Lefay Shrine, so…"

"About time," Edna grumbled, walking past him. "Let's get this show on the road already. How many times have we had to delay the Water Trial?"

"Um…three, I think," Eizen answered after a moment's consideration, laughing slightly.

"Please tell me there won't be any more detours."

"I don't think so," Eizen answered. "I'm not planning any, at least."

_Let's hope Niko isn't, either,_ Edna thought but didn't say as they left to regroup with their other allies. Still, in a way, she was glad they'd visited the remains of their home - the trip had cleared up some important things, and now Sadie wasn't going to be a pain to deal with anymore. If ever there was a time when they were ready to face the last trial and prepare to take down Niko, it would be now.


	20. With the Fear

Once Sahra retrieved Zaveid, Eizen and Edna found Lucine, and the five of them met back up, they returned to the remains of the treehouse together, all manifested, and found Sadie waiting patiently for them. Something was definitely different about the Squire's bearing when she saw the seraphim, Edna noted, and she began to hope that maybe Eizen had really done it.

"Are we all ready to go?" Sadie asked.

"We're ready," Eizen nodded. "Let's head for the Lefay Shrine."

"Everything okay, Sadie?" Sahra asked as they started walking.

"Yes," Sadie replied as they left the clearing and began their trek through the forest. "More than okay, I think. We…" She took a breath. "I…understand, now. About Eizen's family…and…other things."

"Really?" Sahra asked, sounding surprised. "What changed?"

"We found my parents' memory box," Eizen answered for his Squire.

"Memory box?" Edna repeated, confused.

"Since my parents' room was mostly made of skibus wood, it didn't burn very much," Eizen explained, "and…we found out that there's this old chest they keep in their wardrobe that contains all the stuff they used to wear: My mom's outfit from her days fighting Shepherd Artorius, including the bandages that covered her therion claw, and the clothes my dad wore after he faked his death and went into hiding." He smiled, almost wistfully. "I'm sure they'll be happy to know that it's all untouched."

"Didn't know they kept that stuff," Zaveid remarked.

"Me either," Edna concurred. She glanced at Sahra, but instead of the glower the fire seraph had previously assumed when the subject of Rokurou's fake death came up, she looked thoughtfully curious.

"Yeah…but I'm glad they did," Eizen said softly. "I guess my parents and Sadie's parents have that in common. So, you know, we aren't so different-"

"What about all of you?" Sadie asked abruptly, clearly changing the subject, and Edna wondered what she'd told Eizen that she didn't want anyone else to know, but chose not to pursue it. "Is everything all right with you?"

"Yeah, and we even figured out what Sahra's blessing is," Edna informed the girl.

"Oh?" Sadie asked. "You…You _do_ have blessings, then? All of you?"

"Indeed," Edna said dully; "each seraph has their own unique blessing they can grant to places or people. We don't instinctively know what ours are, though, unlike our names."

"I see," Sadie mused. "So…what is your blessing, Sahra?"

"Whoa, no 'Lady' this time?!" Sahra exclaimed.

"I mean…" Sadie curled in on herself. "If you would rather I call you Lady Sahra…"

"No, it's fine!" Sahra assured her brightly. "Please, never call me Lady again."

"I'm just trying to figure out what is and isn't true from what I once believed," Sadie began slowly.

"Edna."

The sudden, soft voice made Edna jump, and she glanced over to find Lucine immediately to her side. "Yeah?"

"May I…have a word with you?" the water seraph asked. "Alone?"

"Sure," Edna shrugged, and she lifted her head. "You guys go on ahead, we'll be right behind you," she informed the others.

"Everything okay?" Eizen asked.

"Yeah, we're fine, we just need to talk for a minute," Edna replied. "Don't worry, even if we lose sight of you, I know the way…and besides, you're our vessel, we can always come back to you if we get lost."

"Alright then," Eizen nodded, and he and the others kept walking and talking about blessings while Edna and Lucine slowed their pace to a crawl. The nervous water seraph waited until their comrades were only just visible through the trees before speaking.

"Thank you," she began before hesitating. "I know this is sudden, and we don't really know each other…"

"So what's this about?" Edna asked her, though she had a feeling she already knew.

"Sahra…told me something," Lucine said. "A…A story, she said you told her. I wanted to ask you…is it really true that you, a human girl, and the Prime Lord of the time, Lailah, were all relaxing in a sauna in Lastonbell a few hundred years ago, and Zaveid…used his abilities as a wind seraph to try to spy on you?"

"Yeah," Edna replied, deciding that lying wouldn't do any good in the long run, "it's true. Zaveid's a pervert like that."

"I see," Lucine sighed sadly.

"But he wasn't always like this," Edna went on. "I mean, he's been this way as long as I've known him, but I know his history, and it's not really his fault that he tries to focus on what's most enjoyable in the moment and not think about consequences."

"Not his fault?" Lucine repeated.

Edna deliberated with herself for a minute, then sighed and stopped short, turning to meet Lucine's violet eyes. "Listen," she said, "I'm about to tell you a very personal story that isn't mine to tell, and I need you to promise me you'll never let anyone know you know it, _especially_ not Zaveid."

"I-I promise," Lucine avowed nervously, bowing her head. "Do you want me to take a seraphic oath?"

"No need," Edna replied as they started walking again, "a regular promise will do. So anyway, here goes. Long story short, a little over fifteen hundred years ago, Zaveid had a girlfriend named Theodora. I never met her, but on the rare occasions he can be convinced to talk about her, he makes her sound like the most pure and perfect being who ever lived, more goddess than malak. It's obvious he was deeply in love with her, and I can only assume that she loved him too and they were really happy together. Then, during the rise of Innominat, when resonance spread across the world similar to the way it has now, some children were left orphaned and homeless, and Zaveid and Theodora took them in. Those kids loved their foster family, but the pain of losing everything they once had produced a ton of malevolence, and before long, Theodora succumbed and turned into a dragon."

Lucine gasped.

"Even after she turned, Zaveid still loved her, and he tried to protect her from dragon slayers while he worked to revive some trace of the person she used to be," Edna went on. "Of course, it was hopeless; according to the theory Sadie and Sahra came up with recently, a theory I'd bet a million gald is the case, dragons are in fact already dead. When the dragon she had become attacked a child, Zaveid finally understood she was gone, and he stood back and watched as some traveling warriors killed her." She shrugged. "He hasn't been the same since."

"That's horrible," Lucine breathed. "The agony he must have endured…I can't begin to imagine his anguish. It makes sense that he would turn to superficial hedonism now - it's much safer than caring, and risking such pain again."

"Yup," Edna agreed dully. She waited a beat, then added, "Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

"Well…no," Lucine answered. "As you said, it was a deeply personal story; I don't see why you would betray his trust to tell it to me."

_Well, I guess even Zaveid's only hope couldn't be perfect,_ Edna thought. "I'm telling you this so you'll understand why he keeps staring at you when he thinks you aren't looking," she half-lied to the water seraph. "Apparently, apart from your hair colors being reversed, you look exactly like Theodora. He actually thought you were her in the first few moments after we purified you."

"I look like her?!" Lucine exclaimed, and Edna looked over to see those violet eyes wide with horror yet again. "That…that's terrible! Oh, he must hate me…To lose someone he loved like that, and here I am parading around wearing her face…"

"It's not _your_ fault you look the way you do," Edna pointed out drily.

"Still," Lucine whispered.

"Anyway, now you know that he's more complicated than the gross pervert he acts like," Edna stated. "Don't get me wrong, though, he is still a gross pervert; make of this information what you will. If that's all you wanted to ask about, let's catch up with the others."

"Y-Yes," Lucine said, "that was all. Thank you, Edna, for telling me this, it…explains a lot."

_I bet it does,_ Edna thought, and she reached through her Sub Lord pact to retreat within Eizen, then emerge at his side; Lucine did the same.

"Oh, hey guys," Sahra greeted them. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," Lucine nodded. "I'm sorry. What were we talking about?"

"We were just discussing Sahra's blessing," Eizen answered as they continued down the path. "Well, we were _finished_ discussing Sahra's blessing. To force people to be honest with themselves…it's pretty incredible that a power like that exists."

"I experienced it many times," Sadie chimed in. "I always wondered why I couldn't help admitting things to her that I'd never told anyone, but…I think it all worked out for the best. It's a powerful blessing, and one that can bring much good to the world if used responsibly." She cast her eyes over the other three seraphim she traveled with. "So…what about the rest of you? What would your blessings be?"

"I dunno about mine," Edna replied with a shrug. "I gave Eizen my blessing when he was born, and I still don't know what it did."

"You did what?!" Eizen gasped, turning to her. "Edna, you never told me that!"

"Again, I don't know what it did," Edna repeated dully. "Is it really that big of a deal? You are who you are either way."

"I grew up with a seraph's blessing," Eizen said dazedly; "yeah, big sis, that's kind of a big deal. I wonder how it influenced me…"

"Well, based on how Eizen turned out," Zaveid said thoughtfully, "plus what I know of you, Edna, I'd guess that your blessing is for seriousness and early maturity."

"Hey, yeah, that makes sense," Sahra agreed.

"I…guess so," Edna admitted, blinking in surprise. _Is that really who I am…? I guess it is…_

"What about you, Zaveid?" Sadie inquired, and Edna had to take a moment to adjust to the Squire not calling him 'Lord'.

"Oh, don't even ask," Edna commented. "Rose did once, when she was a Squire, and we all would have been happier not hearing his answer."

"No surprises there," Sahra remarked. The fire seraph glanced at Zaveid, and Edna didn't miss the sudden flash of light in her green eyes.

"I was being facetious," Zaveid stated before wincing at the clearly-unintended honesty. Then he sighed resignedly and continued, "If I _really_ had to take a guess at what my blessing might be…well, this might surprise you, but I'd actually go with integrity and faith."

"Integrity and faith?!" Sahra laughed. "_You_?!"

"Hey, the blessings we come into being with are the ones we've got, they don't change no matter who we grow up to be," Zaveid shrugged. "It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"Ugh," Edna muttered, rolling her eyes at his excuse to spout his catchphrase.

"How about you, Lucine?" Sahra asked. "What would your blessing be?"

"Something horrible, no doubt," Lucine responded, her voice weighted with sorrow. "A tendency to make mistakes, or some such curse."

Edna eyed her. "Actually," she said, "if I had to guess at your blessing, I'd say it's probably empathy - that is to say, the power to read and feel what the people around you are truly feeling deep down…" She aimed a sharp glare at Zaveid. "…no matter how hard they might try to mask it."

"That…actually makes a lot of sense," Eizen remarked. "I mean, it would explain why-"

"Sounds like a curse to me," Zaveid interrupted loudly, and Edna suddenly wanted very much to know what Eizen had been about to say. "Imagine being burdened with all the crap everyone around you is dealing with all the time. _Ugh_." He shuddered. "If Edna's right, it must suck to be you, Lucine."

"It does," the water seraph said softly. "That much is true."

This killed the conversation; no one knew what to say in response, and Edna got the feeling that they were waiting for the water seraph to explain herself, but she never did. As a result, the six heroes walked the rest of the way in an awkward silence, until at last, the forest ended, and they stepped out into the open spaces of Lakehaven Heights. Their detour behind them, by some unspoken agreement, all four seraphim came to rest inside Eizen, and he and Sadie turned their faces at last in the direction of the Lefay Shrine.

The hellions they found along the way were a joke at this point, and only Zaveid even bothered coming out to help quell them. Before long, with absolutely no interruptions, they reached the waterfall that hid the entrance to Lord Amenoch's temple, and with Silver Wind carrying them across some deep water, they finally passed through the spray and into the short cave that led to a door marking the home of the Water Trial.

Inside, water flowed and pooled, but the graceful stone architecture was not eroded in the slightest, the shrine rising high above them as water cascaded all around. In front of them, a stone path led to a shallow, glowing pool, at the center of which knelt a seraph in a white robe and bronze mask. Eizen approached the seraph, his own allied seraphim all emerging to support him.

"Welcome," the kneeling seraph declared. "My name is Altul; I oversee this shrine on behalf of Lord Amenoch."

"My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe; I am the Shepherd," Eizen declared. "This is my Squire, Sadie Halloway; my Prime Lord, Zaveid; and my Sub Lords, Edna, Sahra, and Lucine. We've come to take the trial of Lord Amenoch."

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last," Altul said. "We have been waiting for you for some time now."

"Yeah…sorry about that," Eizen said sheepishly, running a hand through his tied-back hair. "Some things…came up."

"Indeed," Altul nodded, and he rose to his feet. "You fought a tremendous battle on our doorstep, young Shepherd. Lord Amenoch bore witness to it, and has determined that to set forth a strength trial for you would be redundant. You will find no tests of your battle prowess here."

"No strength trial?" Eizen repeated. "Just…no strength trial, at all?"

Edna narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?" she asked suspiciously.

Altul bowed his head. "Your strength is undeniable," he said, "but Lord Amenoch…still has some concerns."

"Of course he does," Edna muttered.

"_He_?" Eizen repeated, turning to her. "But wait…I thought Lord Amenoch was female?"

"Eizen."

Everyone turned at Sadie's voice, which held no bite or contempt, and she gave the Shepherd a gentle smile.

"The Five Great Lords are genderless," she informed him calmly. "We only refer to each of them as 'he' and 'him' because it's simpler. It's like how the word 'mankind' applies to both men and women."

"But…when my mother summoned the elemental Great Lords, Amenoch was incarnated with Lady Teresa's soul," Eizen remembered out loud.

"It was the human soul that was female, not the being who incarnated through her," Sadie explained. "Gods have no need for gender."

"Heh heh, yeah," Zaveid chuckled, "must suck to be them."

Everyone but Lucine groaned at this, even Sadie, and Edna couldn't help smiling at the Squire. _She's like a different person now,_ Edna thought. _It's incredible, how quickly humans can change, no matter how awful they are at first. Maybe they aren't so bad after all…_

"Anyway," Eizen said at last, turning back to Altul, "You say Lord Amenoch has concerns?"

"He does," Altul nodded. "Your trial shall be one of spirit." His hands spread, and he gestured to the elaborate structures around them. "To reach the altar of Lord Amenoch, you must ascend to the very top of the shrine. Along the way, your water seraph must grant you the power of Spectral Cloak, lest you be spotted by seraphic artes designed to test your abilities; should any of the eyes see you, you will be transported back to this spot instantly, so be careful. Between here and the altar, you will find five journal entries written by a man named Asura; gather them all, and read them. When you find me at the altar room, I will expect you to tell me exactly what became of him and why." Through the bronze mask, his eyes turned to Edna. "Edna, you were here centuries ago for the original version of this trial; we are counting on you to say nothing of what you know."

"Of course," Edna shrugged. "Eizen has to figure it out for himself. I won't tell him anything."

"Very good," Altul said, and he turned back to Eizen. "I will await you at the altar."

And he was gone.

"Five journal entries," Eizen repeated, "and eyes that will send us back here if they see us. Got it." When Edna looked up at him, she saw him smile. "It's nice of them to actually spell out what the trial entails from the start for a change," he commented, and he glanced at Lucine. "Can you cast Spectral Cloak for me?"

"I wouldn't know how," she said ashamedly.

"Don't worry about it, babe," Zaveid told her; "he channels your power the same way he'd channel any of ours, and he knows how to do it. You just gotta let him."

"Unlike the rest of us, though," Edna inserted, "you need to maintain the channeled energy for as long as you can at a time. We're counting on your strength and focus."

"I will do my best," Lucine promised. "I…can only hope that it will be enough."

"I'm sure it is," Eizen dismissed, and he turned around. "Come on, let's go."

As they began to cross the pool Altul had been waiting in, Edna glanced at Sadie. "You know, Sadie," she commented tonelessly, "when we began this journey, if you'd heard Eizen call one of the Five Lords female, you would have said something like, 'Don't you know anything, hellion-spawn?!'"

Zaveid and Eizen both laughed at Edna's impression of the obnoxious bigot Sadie had been. "Yeah," Zaveid agreed, "or 'You should be ashamed of your insolence, hellion-spawn!'"

"Not to mention something about how 'Lord Zaveid' and 'Lady Edna' shouldn't have to put up with a wretch like me," Eizen added as they came to a stone door.

Sadie was blushing as the seraphim retreated to rest within Eizen's chest. He turned and gave her an apologetic smile.

"We're not laughing _at_ you, Sadie," he explained. "We're just…kind of amazed, at how much you've changed since you first joined us."

"I have changed," Sadie said slowly. "When it all started, I thought…I thought it would be the end of the world, for me to no longer believe in what I thought I knew. But now…I don't think I can remember ever being so happy."

_Funny how much happier you are when you're not spending so much energy being angry and hateful all the time, huh?_ Zaveid remarked.

"Yes," Sadie nodded, and she smiled. "Yes, it is."

A warm sensation filled Edna's vessel, and she smiled herself. _How far we've come, baby brother,_ she remarked to him privately.

_Yeah,_ he agreed.

Unfortunately, that was where the happiness ended. Getting through the Lefay Shrine was as aggravating as Edna remembered from her quest with Sorey - the place had an annoying habit of giving the illusion of multiple paths, but some were blocked by so many seraphic eyes that no seraph could sustain Spectral Cloak all the way through, forcing them all the way back to the pool at the entrance to the shrine to climb up all over again. Lucine apologized, profusely and tearfully, whenever this happened, and by the fifth time, it was getting on Edna's already-frayed nerves.

_It's designed to be this way,_ she snapped at the water seraph. _It's not your fault; get over yourself!_

Of course, the apologies didn't stop, nor did the tears.

Hellions lurked in rooms not guarded by seraphic eyes, of course, and this being a water-based area, Edna's power smote them all with ease; that was the only good thing about the place, as far as she was concerned. Through trial and error, they made their way through the aggravating structure, and along the way, as promised, they found the journal entries written by Asura. Eizen actually picked them up and brought them with him as they ascended, reading them aloud to his companions and mulling them over thoughtfully.

"'22nd Year of the Common Calendar, Month of Verdance,'" he read. "'The seraph of water appeared to me and urged me to become the Shepherd. He says I have great potential. But I wonder…Is a lowly swordsmith like me truly worthy of becoming the Shepherd?'

"'25th Year of the Common Calendar, Month of Sage. It has been three years since the seraph named me the Shepherd. I have tried mightily to be worthy of the role, but malevolence rises unabated. I must do more - I need to save as many as I can.'

"'28th Year of the Common Calendar, Month of the Cycle. It's no good…Every day, malevolence encroaches further upon the world. I can stop neither disaster nor war. I am the Shepherd, yet still I am weak. I need greater power if I am to vanquish this malevolence once and for all!'

"'31st Year of the Common Calendar, Month of the Chalice. I have obtained mythril, with which I mean to forge a mighty blade. Then I will at last have the power I need. Power, power, power…It is all I can think of, night and day.'"

Eizen's bearing changed after reading the fourth journal entry, and Edna could tell he was troubled. Maybe he already suspected where this was going.

"'42nd Year of the Common Calendar, Month of the Blossoms,'" he read when they finally got to the last entry. "'It is complete at last. The sword that has been my dream for nigh on twenty years. With this blade, I will cut them all down! The hellions! The malevolence! All the chaos!'"

Here, Eizen stopped, closing his eyes and settling into his thinking stance, which he held for a long minute. From within him, Edna could feel him putting pieces together, and the niggle of worry that began to eat away at him, yet she could do nothing to help.

"…Eizen?" Sadie asked at last. "Is everything…okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Eizen lifted his head and broke the formation of his hands. "No," he replied, turning to his Squire, "but let's keep going. I want to talk to Altul about this."

Sadie nodded, and they forged ahead.

At last, they reached the eye that would take them to the very top of the shrine instead of the bottom. It was set in the floor of a raised dais, and Eizen only hesitated a moment before stepping onto it without a cloak active. But when the booby trap of the last room, meant to catch unawares those who thought they were done, sent the whole team all the way back to the beginning, Eizen groaned aloud.

"That was a cheap trick," he grumbled over the sound of Lucine's tearful apologies.

"That's one word for it," Sadie agreed sourly, and she gave a weary sigh. "Come on, let's climb all the way up there again. At least we know we can."

But Edna couldn't help but wonder if maybe Eizen was a little glad for the extra time to ponder what he'd read. He was completely silent as they forged their way through the shrine's 'puzzles' one last time, careful to cast Spectral Cloak after they reached the top floor. Then there was only a bridge across the highest reaches of the open space, and a room containing the altar to the Great Lord Amenoch. Altul stood waiting for them.

"You've made it," the seraph observed. "Well done."

Edna and the other seraphim emerged to manifest beside the Shepherd and Squire.

"What kinda lunatic made this place?" Zaveid demanded. "Life's already cornered the market on cruel, sick jokes; who thought of trying to compete by building this crap?"

"Peace, Prime Lord," Altul stated. "A Shepherd must know patience, and be able to learn from his mistakes rather than lament them."

"This is a pretty dirty way to teach that lesson," Zaveid grumbled, folding his arms, but he stood down.

"Now then," Altul said, turning on Eizen, "do you know what became of Asura?"

"He turned into a hellion," Eizen said in a low voice. "Didn't he? He was so obsessed with gaining the strength needed to fight malevolence that he let malevolence consume him."

"Just so," Altul nodded. "It was I who put him on the path to becoming the Shepherd; serving Lord Amenoch now is my penance for selecting a man whose purity turned out to be a weakness rather than a strength. His goal became twisted; where once he sought to protect the world, he eventually came to want to destroy anything that brought malevolence about."

"Including the very humans he was supposed to defend," Eizen said softly.

"Indeed." Altul's masked head tilted. "Do you understand why we set forth this task for you, young Shepherd?"

"I do," Eizen nodded. "It's…about my blood, isn't it? As a Rangetsu."

Edna stared at him.

"When I fought my father," Eizen said slowly, "as I was giving my all to the battle and holding nothing back, drawing on all that I'd learned in a desperate drive to beat him…I felt this odd euphoria fill me. I felt…calm, but savage, weirdly happy with every blow I dealt or took. It was like I never wanted the fight to end. My father said…that the way I was feeling meant that I was a true Rangetsu."

"Yes," Altul said. "Your father's family were a long line of battle-hungry barbarians, tempered only by their sense of duty and honor. This bloodlust ran exceptionally strong in your father, and that, combined with his despair at not being able to attain the strength to match it, was what turned him into a hellion many centuries ago; though he was blessed by Lord Maotelus and granted a second chance at life, a second chance he embraced only because of the love he felt for his wife, that thirst for battle never left him, and was easily exploited by the current Lord of Calamity. The same battle-hungry streak was passed on to you."

"But I didn't kill him," Eizen said. "He wanted me to, and I didn't. It's…It's okay to be strong, even to _want_ to be strong, as long as that strength doesn't cloud my vision. The fact that part of me takes delight in fighting doesn't have to be a weakness - it can be a strength, as long as I don't let it control me. And I won't," he vowed. "I won't end up like Asura…or my father."

"I believe you won't," Altul said, "and Lord Amenoch agrees. Well done, young Shepherd; you have passed the trial. Only one thing remains." He turned to where Lucine was standing timidly to the side. "Young water seraph, please step forward, if you would."

Lucine flinched, then nervously walked up to stand before Lord Amenoch's servant.

"It is not only the Shepherd who must be worthy of the blessings of the Five Lords," Altul declared; "his seraphim, too, must be deserving of this power, and the responsibility that comes with it. Young water seraph, you have not yet proven yourself to be worthy of the spiritual power of water."

The water seraph gasped and recoiled, the judgment clearly cutting her deeply.

"Worry not," Altul told her, "it is a simple matter to rectify. All you must do…is speak your true name aloud, for _all_ your companions to hear."

"My true name?!" Lucine exclaimed. "No! No, please, please, I beg you-!"

"This is Lord Amenoch's will," Altul said sternly. "If you will not tell your allies the secret you carry, he will not grant your Shepherd the spiritual power of water. Tell them your true name, or leave empty-handed; those are your options."

"Are you serious?!" Zaveid shouted.

"This may seem harsh," Altul admitted, "but the battles you have yet to face will test all of you far more than anything we could ever set forth; if you are to succeed, the bonds between you must be strong and true, utterly unbreakable. Tell me, young water seraph: if you cannot trust these people with your secret, how can they ever trust you in a crucial moment?"

"They won't trust me if they know who I am," Lucine whimpered. "They won't let me be anywhere near them, ever again."

"That is their decision to make, not yours," Altul pointed out. "Tell them your true name, or leave. That is the choice you must make."

"Come on, tell us!" Sahra encouraged. "It can't be that bad!"

Lucine turned around, practically shaking with terror.

"You think we'll be angrier about your secret than we would be for you making us waste our time getting up here?" Edna asked tonelessly.

This point clearly hit home, and Lucine bit her lip, curling her fingers into fists. "My…my true name…" she whimpered. "My true name is…is…is…!" Her voice choked off in a sob, and she screwed her eyes shut as she took a breath. "It's…"

Edna smugly mouthed along with Lucine's confession:

"…Melphis Amekia."

The words hung in the air for a moment, as everyone took them in. Lucine gave Edna a fearful look, and Edna smirked.

"Hey, Alisha," she said.

"Edna," Lucine whimpered. "You…You knew?"

"I suspected," Edna shrugged. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"Hang on," Zaveid exclaimed abruptly, "you can't mean Alisha as in _Princess Alisha_, the old Squire?!"

"Yup," Edna said flatly.

"No way!" Zaveid gasped, eyes wide as he shook his head, staring at Lucine. "You…all this time you…?"

"Princess Alisha…" Eizen repeated, his eyes wide as he turned to his water seraph. "You mean…Princess Alisha Diphda?"

"So you know of me," Lucine said, her voice trembling as she grasped her forearm, hugging herself. "Yes, it's true…before I was a seraph, I was the human, Princess Alisha Diphda of Hyland."

Sadie gasped in amazement, Sahra gave a soft "Oh?", and Lucine winced.

"That you know my name confirms my fears," she said sadly. "Everything you've heard about me is true. All the pain and destruction they say I caused was entirely my fault. I won't blame you if you never want to see me again."

Edna rolled her eyes hard enough for the gesture to be seen from space, already anticipating where this was going.

Eizen blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You must know!" Lucine cried. "If you know my name, then you must know the horrors I caused!"

"Horrors?" Eizen repeated, bewildered. "Alisha-"

"My name is Lucine!" she shouted. "I'm not Alisha anymore!" She began to sob, and Edna sighed resignedly. _This is going to take a while._ "Whatever wars have ravaged the continent since I died, you must blame me for all of them, surely, and you'd be right! I never meant for anyone to get hurt, I only ever wanted to make things better, but all my pushing for treaties and political reforms only inspired bitterness and hatred on both sides, they must have waged devastating battles once I was gone and not around for them to hate anymore! Everyone hated me, everything I ever did was a mistake! As a Squire, I was a burden, costing Sorey his resonance and almost his life; as a knight, I idolized and served a monster who used my naiveté to further the goals of the Lord of Calamity; and as a politician, I only made everything worse, made everyone angry, made everyone hate each other!" She was wailing now, tears tracking down her face, and she fell to her knees. "Why was I ever born?" she sobbed wretchedly. "What did I do to deserve a second life as a seraph? I should have just kept my mouth shut, like Gareth always told me, a wallflower princess and nothing more, then maybe things would have been okay! I can't imagine the devastation I caused, all because I stupidly tried to make things better without knowing how anything worked! My treaties would have helped, I know they would, but I know everything I ever proposed was thrown out just because they were my idea! I did nothing but fail, and I'll fail you too, you're all better off without me! I'm nothing but a walking mistake!"

This final wail, mercifully, seemed to render her beyond words, and she curled up on the floor of the altar room and cried, a little puddle of tears forming under her face. When it was clear that there was at least going to be a solid lull in her whining, Edna stepped forward.

"Are you done?" she asked the pathetic seraph coldly.

"Huh?" Lucine hiccuped and lifted her head to meet Edna's eyes, tears still pouring down her cheeks.

"Please tell me your little pity party is over so we can start telling you how wrong you are," Edna said dully. "I'm not sure I can take much more crying."

"W…Wrong?" she choked.

"Yeah, Lucine…" Sahra frowned, toying with her braid. "That's…I mean, that's not what _I've_ been told about how it happened, at least."

"For your information," Edna said, "Hyland and Rolance haven't gone to war even once since you died…" She smirked. "…mostly _thanks_ to all the treaties you proposed - which all passed, by the way, and have ensured a peaceful and prosperous relationship between the two nations for centuries."

"Indeed," Sadie concurred. "All citizens of our kingdom know Princess Alisha Diphda as the Light of Hyland, founder of many treaties and political reforms that have shaped the lives of our people for many generations - many of our freedoms and rights are defended to this day by your tireless work in service to our country. You are a legendary figure, renowned by all, above the Squire Rose or even any Shepherd, apart from Sorey."

"And everyone didn't hate you," Edna added. "Sure, those stuffed shirts you always argued with hated you, but that was just because you were too noble and honest to play their sick little games, which is hardly something to be ashamed of." Rolling her eyes again, she tried to keep at least some of the cynicism out of her voice as she went on, "You were the voice of the people, the one who pushed past all the twisted machinations of politics to try to better the world for the common man…and the common man loved you. You were adored by the masses. Don't even get me started on your funeral - it had to be moved to Pendrago just so all the humans and seraphim from Hyland and Rolance who wanted to attend would be able to, and even then, I doubt half the attendants were able to see or hear anything, the crowd was so big. Not a single human eye was dry. It was kind of painful to watch, honestly."

"Lucine," Eizen said gently, "I've grown up learning about everything you did for our world, for both nations…but even besides that, as a seraph now, as our ally, you've been nothing but helpful to us. You got us around a trap my sister set, you're the reason we were able to save my father, and…well, you got us here, didn't you? You got us through the Water Trial."

"That's right," Edna nodded. "The only reason you were a substandard Squire was because your resonance wasn't up to snuff, and there wasn't anything you could have done about that; but now that you're a water seraph, you have all the natural abilities we could ever need of you."

Lucine stared at them all, wide-eyed; her tears were running dry, but she seemed more dazed and confused than anything. Then, Zaveid stepped forward without a word and took a knee in front of her.

"You're not a walking mistake, Lucine," he told her seriously. "Take it from a guy who really is one: you are anything but a walking mistake. You've made _some_ mistakes, sure…" Edna could almost see his lopsided smile. "Case in point, you shoulda told us who you used to be so we could clear all this up for ya. But hey, that's in the past now, and there ain't one single person in history who's ever lived long enough to stand on their own in this world and hasn't made at least a hundred mistakes."

Something began to shift in those violet eyes, and Zaveid held out a hand to her.

"Come on, angel," he said, "get up. You're not the human you used to be, you're one of us now - and we're happy to have ya either way. I'm honored to be able to call you my Sub Lord, just as you are, no matter what form you might have taken in another life. Even if you had screwed things up as a human, that has no bearing on who you are now unless you let it."

_He's calling her "angel" again,_ Edna noted. _And he doesn't seem too keen on thinking of her as Alisha…Heh, comparing her to both Alisha _and_ Theodora is probably too much for him._

"You…" Lucine swallowed hard, shaking her head. "You don't want me to go?"

"There's nothing in this world I want less," Zaveid stated. Still holding out a hand, he stood up. "'Course, if you'd rather go, that's up to you, but we won't ask you to. None of us want you gone. Ain't that right?" he added over his shoulder.

Everyone voiced their agreement without hesitation.

"I…" Lucine stared at Zaveid's hand…then slowly reached out and took it. Edna was almost shocked that lightning didn't strike as they touched - then was surprised all over again when, as Zaveid pulled the water seraph to her feet, Lucine began to glow. "Oh!" she gasped. "What's this?"

"Well done," Altul said, and everyone turned to him. His gaze was on Lucine. "In trusting your comrades, and facing your false assumptions, you have gained a new power for yourself. And now, I shall grant you another: on behalf of Lord Amenoch, I grant you and your Shepherd the spiritual power of water."

Mana passed over both Eizen and Lucine, sealing in the last blessing they needed to combat the Lord of Calamity.

"Now," Altul said, and he turned his attention to the wind seraph still holding Lucine's hand. "Prime Lord, I hear you are adept at casting illusory artes, is that not so?"

"I don't know about 'adept'," Zaveid shrugged, "but I can cast 'em."

"If you would kindly do us a favor, and conjure some construct - a false enemy of some sort - for the Shepherd and his water seraph to cast the final Mystic Arte on, we would be most appreciative," Altul told him.

"An enemy, huh?" Zaveid mused, releasing his grip on Lucine's hand to rub his chin. His orange eyes sparked, and he grinned. "Hey, Lucine, could you do me a favor?"

"What's that?" Lucine asked.

"Think of that jackass the human you used to be got married to, what was his name? Gareth?" Zaveid smirked. "Just picture him in your mind for a moment."

"But…" Lucine whispered, but Zaveid was already raising a hand.

In the middle of the altar room, a figure began to take shape. It was a man, sturdily-built and dressed in red and white, with short black hair, hazel eyes, a short beard, and a disagreeable sneer on his face. Edna recognized him vaguely, but the sight of him seemed to make Lucine want to faint or run or both.

"Go kick his ass," Zaveid told Lucine, with an added nod to Eizen.

Eizen returned the nod, then lifted his left hand and said his water seraph's true name aloud at last: "Melphis Amekia!"

The horrified Lucine dissolved into light and merged with the Shepherd, the bow of the armatus grasped in their shared hands. Eizen stepped forward, blasting the illusion with power, and then shouted as he called on the potential power of battle.

"Lord of Water!"

A domain froze time, and a swarm of water mana darts launched from the bow assaulted the facsimile of Gareth.

"My foe is the heavens!"

The darts swirled, forming a whirlpool that ravaged the man.

"The vortex swallows you!"

Flying forward, Eizen struck the man with the sharp end of the bow.

"_Aqua Limit_!"

Water mana exploded around the illusion, annihilating it, and the arte ended. Eizen and Lucine de-armatized, and Altul nodded approvingly.

"It is done," the keeper of the Water Trial declared. "You have attained all the power you can, young Shepherd; we pray that it will be enough to stop this Era's Lord of Calamity."

"We will not fail you," Eizen promised, and Altul vanished, leaving them alone.

For a long minute, all was still.

"So," Sahra sighed at last, walking over to Lucine, "you've been around all this time, but never reunited with your old friends? Even I went back for the people I knew after I figured out I'd been reborn…Where have you been all this time? Why?"

"As soon as I manifested at the holy tree in Marlind, I fled to Lamorak Cave," Lucine replied. "I…have been living there ever since. It was the most isolated place I was comfortable hiding in, and I didn't…I didn't want to see what kind of world I'd left behind." She hesitated, then added, "I sealed the cave in an effort to inhibit any war efforts between Hyland and Rolance. I know no one has tried to use it, but…have there truly been no wars since I died?"

"Not one," Sahra assured her with a smile. "Of course, I haven't been around either - I manifested way up in the north, and I've been helping travelers lost in the tundra using my fire powers. But from what I hear, the whole world's a lot better off for all your work."

"You shouldn't believe all that crap Gareth tried to fill your head with, he was just jealous that you were better than him in every way," Edna said bluntly. "You wanna talk about mistakes you made? Marrying him, now, _that_ was a mistake."

"I…" Lucine grasped her forearm, blushing. "All this time, I…I regretted marrying him more than anything else I'd ever done. I thought it was because I was selfish, a testament to my worthlessness…"

"Anything but," Zaveid said. Then he turned on Edna. "Say, I'm curious, Edna," he remarked: "how did you know Lucine used to be Alisha?"

"You mean besides the obvious?" Edna responded drily. "She's a pure, innocent maiden who only wants to do good but doesn't believe she's capable of making a difference, she's a master of the spear, and her hair even does that curly thing it did when she was human, though it's natural now." Edna shrugged. "But the thing that really clued me in was her hair colors."

"My hair colors?" Lucine repeated, bewildered.

"All seraphim have two-toned hair," Edna explained; "it's one of the easiest ways to tell humanoid seraphim apart from actual humans. Normally, however, the lighter color starts at the roots, and the ends are where the darker color begins. While this can be the case for both types of seraphim, I've only ever seen a seraph's hair get lighter at the ends instead of darker in cases where the seraph used to be human." She turned back to Zaveid. "You said her true name wasn't anything bad, which meant it had to be something with a personal meaning that I might recognize. Once her hair colors made me start thinking that she might be a human I knew, rather than a seraph I knew, the rest just sort of fell into place."

"Huh," Zaveid mused. "Well spotted, Edna."

"I didn't realize our hair colors had that kind of meaning," Sahra said, toying with her braid, this time focusing on the white ends of the scarlet strands.

"They don't," Edna stated. "Not usually, anyway. And Ekseo and Mikleo both had hair that got darker at the ends despite being human once. But Innominat, Maotelus, Seres, Aline, and now you and Lucine are the only seraphim I've ever known of with white-tipped hair, so it just fit."

"Why didn't you say something?" Lucine asked.

"I knew you'd get around to telling us eventually," Edna replied. "It wasn't my business to bring it up." She hesitated, warring with herself for a moment, then added, "You've been doing a great job as a Sub Lord even with your secret, so it didn't really matter that much anyway."

Lucine bowed her head. "I'm sorry, everyone," she said; "I should have trusted you, or at least not jumped to conclusions about what my name would mean to you all."

"Don't worry about it," Sahra told her with a radiant smile. "It sounds like you've been through a lot. Edna mentioned the jackass you married once…"

"Yeah, those of us who knew you back in the day know it was your jerk husband talking just now, not you," Edna picked up. "Rose and I _tried_ to tell you it wasn't worth marrying him, you know."

"And you were right," Lucine sighed. "I should have listened to you. But I'm glad to know that despite his best efforts, _my_ efforts have had a lasting positive impact on this world. There is nothing more I could ever ask for."

_Nothing at all, huh?_ Edna thought smugly, glancing between the water seraph and Zaveid. But she kept quiet.

Zaveid sighed, then stretched languidly. "Well," he said, "that's all the hard work done. Now let's go take Niko down so we can be done with this mess!"

"Sounds good to me," Eizen said, and he turned to leave the altar room behind.

Seraphim who lived many centuries were fated to say many farewells…but sometimes, just sometimes, a loved one they lost returned to them as someone new. As the Shepherd began his trek out of the Lefay Shrine, three old comrades came to rest within him, reunited at last.

* * *

**It would be somewhere around this point that I would implement some type of mechanic to reflect my Shepherd's Rangetsu heritage…something wherein, against an enemy significantly stronger than the player, he would get a sort of buff so that every successful strike on the foe increased the BG meter about as much as the second-stage guard does in Zestiria when he's not armatized…or something like that…It would probably only matter for one of the upcoming storyline boss fights (the rest would be tweaked by the presence of Stormhowl, and so probably wouldn't involve this buff…or maybe it would be both in conjunction, it's hard to say), but if this was an actual Tales game, there would of course be optional high-powered enemies and plenty of sidequests and such that the buff might make a lot more manageable.**


	21. Losing Ground

Getting out of the Lefay Shrine was a lot easier than getting into it, and for the same reason - as soon as they reached the first seraphic eye, Eizen took care to be spotted by it, and was granted a quick and easy teleport back to the bottom floor.

It was incredible to think that the trials were finally done - almost as incredible as the idea that the Light of Hyland, reborn as a seraph, used him as her vessel. _Princess Alisha_…the name was only ever spoken with reverence even now, and here she was, a water seraph, his ally…

"Lady Lucine?"

They had barely cleared the pool where Altul had waited for them when Sadie's voice stopped Eizen in his tracks. He turned back, all four seraphim emerging once more.

"Didn't we get past you calling us 'Lord' and 'Lady'?" Edna asked her dully.

Sadie blushed. "But Lucine is…well, she was once Princess Alisha," the Squire stammered. "If anyone deserves a formal title, she does."

"Please," Lucine told her with a gentle smile, "don't be formal with me - if it helps, I'm not really Alisha anymore. Anyway, what was it you wanted to ask?"

"I wanted to ask…about the illusion Zaveid cast for you," Sadie replied hesitantly. "He was…your husband, in your human life?"

"Yes," Lucine nodded sadly, the smile fading. "Is he also remembered?"

"He's mentioned," Sadie answered; "we know you entered an arranged marriage with a man from the Rolance Empire in an effort to strengthen the bond between our nations."

"Yes," Lucine sighed, "I did…and I should not have. It did not serve the purpose I had hoped, and it only ever made me miserable - and maybe him, too. I couldn't be the wife he wanted me to be; when he agreed to marry a princess, he thought he was getting a woman who would be a decoration, a possession, not a woman who would fight or speak her mind. Once he learned who I was, he was appalled at my behavior, which he insisted was unladylike."

All of this sounded eerily familiar to Eizen, and he knew for a fact that he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Sadie's in an arranged marriage, too," Edna spoke up, "despite it being against Hyland law. She's agreeing to it, so it's not illegal, but the guy she's matched up with sounds about as pleasant as Gareth."

"Why would you agree to marry such a man?" Lucine asked Sadie, not unkindly. "I can't imagine that any cause would be worth the sort of torment I endured when I was human."

"I have to restore my family's honor," Sadie said faintly. "I…I _have_ to…My parents gave me life, it's my responsibility to repay them-"

"Your parents gave you life, so it's _their_ responsibility to make sure _you_ grow up to be happy and productive, and live the best life you can live," Zaveid interjected sternly. "That's what it means to be a parent, babe. Even we seraphim know that."

Lucine sighed heavily. "It may be true that the only man I ever loved in my human life was in love with another man," she said ruefully, "but I could have done better than Gareth. Instead, I gave myself away for what I thought was a just cause, and have regretted it every moment since, even long after he died - even now, as someone new, I still regret it. It is noble to give your time, your energy, your body, and your life for what you believe in, Sadie, but…you should never give your heart for a cause other than love. Not ever. A heart is a sacred thing, not to be wasted."

"Hear, hear," Zaveid concurred, though there was an odd undertone to his voice.

"But…" Sadie whimpered.

Eizen stepped forward, recognizing that Sadie was on the verge of a breakdown. "You don't have to do anything about it now," he reminded her. "We have more important things to attend to before you even _can_ marry Sir Leybon. Come on, let's get outside and start planning our next move, you can think about what to do about your wedding while we travel."

Without a word, Sadie nodded, but her steps were slow and uneven as they finished exiting the shrine. All four seraphim stayed manifested instead of returning to their vessel, and Eizen could feel a sort of tension crackling in the air, as though a storm was about to break.

Edna sidled over to him. "Three…" she murmured just loud enough for him to hear as they made their way through the short cave behind the waterfall. "…two…one…"

Exactly on Edna's cue, Sadie's footsteps stopped short behind them, and Eizen turned around as his seraphim quickly moved a little further down the tunnel path, leaving the two humans more or less alone. Sadie was shaking, her eyes screwed shut, her fists squeezed into tight balls.

"Sadie?" Eizen asked, trying to be as gentle as possible. "What's wrong?"

"I…" she whimpered in a broken voice. "I…I…I…!" She looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and she blurted out, "I don't want to marry Sir Leybon!"

And suddenly she was in his arms, sobbing wildly on his shoulder as she clutched the thick, silky threads of his Shepherd's cloak. Gently, Eizen held her as she screamed and cried.

"I don't want to marry him!" she wailed. "I don't! I _don't_! I don't _want_ to!"

Eizen gripped her a little more tightly, his cheek against her lush golden hair, breathing in her aroma of battle sweat laced with a hint of princessia-scented soap as she unloaded emotions she'd clearly been bottling up for a long time - like with Lucine, she needed to just let it out, and he was willing to give her all the time she needed as her tears ran down his cloak.

"I don't want to marry him," she choked again after several minutes. "Do you know…what the first thing he ever said to me was?" She pulled back a little to meet Eizen's eyes, her own brown ones still overflowing with liquid. "I - I was so excited to meet him," she hiccuped, "and I - I came to him, all dressed in my armor, with - with my ax, and - and he…he looked at me - took one look at me - and he said - he said - he said…" She lifted her nose, sniffling. "'A woman with a battleax? How preposterous!'" she imitated, putting on a haughty tone, before dissolving into hysterics on Eizen's shoulder again. "That was the first thing he ever said to me!" she wailed brokenly. "He hates me! He won't let me be who I am, and I don't want to marry him, Eizen, I don't, I _don't_!"

"Sadie," Eizen sighed gently, "you don't have to. Arranged marriages are against Hyland law, if you call off the wedding he'll have no choice but to let you go."

His Squire blubbered something that sounded like, "My parents…"

"Your parents have to find their own way to cope with what happened to your sister," Eizen told her firmly. "It shouldn't be up to you to atone for the mistakes of someone you can't even remember, whether she was your family or not. I'm sure your parents can find a way to be happy again, if only they let go of the past - mine did, after all. But right now, you need to live _your_ life, and do what would make _you_ happy."

"What would make me happy," she repeated in a raw voice, though her tears seemed to be subsiding. She lifted her head off of his shoulder again to meet his eyes; she was tall, but Eizen was taller, and they almost matched each other's eye level. "My parents would disown me if I did what would make me happy," she whispered, sniffling and wiping her face.

"If they'd disown you for doing what would make you happy, then they don't deserve to be your parents," Eizen told her, as gently as possible. "Um…what is it that would make you happy?"

"I want to marry…a good man," she answered. "A man who doesn't judge anyone, and lives to make other people's lives better. A man who believes in everyone's right to choose how they live. A man who always believes in me and lets me be myself, even if I was never nice to him. A man…worthy of drawing the Sacred Blade."

"Sadie…" Eizen breathed, his heart pounding.

"Eizen…" she whispered softly.

She leaned closer to him again, but this time her face wasn't angled for his shoulder. It was just like in the charred remains of Eizen's home, and he closed his eyes as their lips met. He felt her arms around his neck, and couldn't resist burying the bare fingers of his left hand in the knot of golden hair she always kept tied up, hair he'd fantasized about touching for years. It was just as smooth and silky as he'd dreamed, and he pressed his mouth harder against hers, warmth and happiness flowing through him as their lips opened and closed, all his attention on the strong, beautiful woman he held, the woman he loved with all his heart.

After a long minute, they broke apart, both breathing heavily, and though Eizen felt as though he could fly, he also felt a prickle of guilt as he met her dark brown eyes. "Sadie," he murmured, cupping her face in his hands. "I love you, and I always will, but…I am the Shepherd. I have a duty that I have to perform, to protect this world from the Lord of Calamity. If I'm still alive after this ordeal is over, it will mean…that I killed my sister. My own younger sister's blood will be on my hands, or I'll be dead. Could you really be with a man who will have to live with that kind of sin?"

"You don't want to kill her," Sadie said. "You don't want to kill anyone. I've seen how you feel about killing, Eizen - you didn't even want to kill General Donovan, a man you'd only just met, and he did nothing but try to kill you. Niko isn't going to give you a choice; you're going to do it because you have to, to save us all. I know it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life anyway, and…I would stand beside you and support you the whole way, as your Squire, as your friend…and as more, if you would have me."

"Then…" Reeling, unable to believe the words were about to come out of his mouth, Eizen asked, "When this is all over, if we're still alive at the end…will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she gasped without a moment's hesitation. "Yes, yes, yes! I don't care what my parents will say about it, my answer is yes, yes, _yes_!"

Their lips crashed together again, harder, wilder, tongues moving clumsily to explore each other's mouths as he tasted her, sweet and spicy, sweat and battle dust and _Sadie_. Euphoria filled him, not unlike the elation he'd felt while fighting his father but lighter, purer, happier - he couldn't think, didn't need to think and didn't want to, he only felt and knew, felt Sadie, knew Sadie, nothing but Sadie…

A crunch of gravel against rock under a boot slammed Eizen back into awareness, and he tore his lips away from Sadie's, heat rushing to his face as he turned to his audience of four seraphim, all of whom were smiling.

"Oh, don't you mind us," Zaveid chuckled, tipping his hat, "we were just leaving. You two take as long as you like."

"N-No," Eizen stammered, wiping his mouth with his right hand. "No, uncle, we…we need to get going."

"Yes," Sadie agreed, sounding equally embarrassed. "We have to find Niko and her dragons and defeat them. The world won't wait for us."

"You sure?" Zaveid asked lightly. "For all we know, the Lord of Calamity is waiting for us right on the other side of this waterfall - we might all die before the sun goes down tonight. Ain't no time like the present."

"We'll have time later," Eizen said firmly. "Right now, we have a duty to attend."

"Let's go," Sadie agreed, even as her hand clasped his, their fingers interlocking. "Duty comes before our personal lives."

Eizen gripped her hand back and nodded at her.

"Suit yourselves," Zaveid shrugged, and he returned to rest inside Eizen's chest, the other seraphim following suit.

_Congratulations, in any case,_ Edna said tonelessly.

_Yeah, congratulations!_ Sahra agreed. _I'm happy for you, Sadie!_

_I'm happy for both of you,_ Lucine concurred, her spot next to Eizen's heart radiating with delight. _Congratulations to you both._

_Congratulations,_ Zaveid added.

"Thanks, guys," Eizen sighed contentedly.

With his family, Sahra, and Lucine all inside him, and his beloved - his _fiancé_ \- holding his hand, he walked to the edge of the cave and summoned the power of his wind seraph, breezing through the waterfall, across the deep water it pooled into…

…and straight into the epicenter of a powerful malevolent domain, two dragons hovering menacingly right in front of him.

Eizen gasped at the sudden, unexpected sight of his sister and her servants, his seraphim emerging to manifest despite the malevolence clogging the air - a shield seemed to flow through his skin, composed of the elements, as the blessings of the Great Lords granted him and his allies the strength to ignore the domain cast by the Lord of Calamity.

"For the record," Zaveid murmured to everyone, "I was joking about her waiting here for us."

"Well well," Niko sneered from atop her white-horned dragon, "the noble Shepherd has completed the trials of the Five Lords. You've been around the world, dear brother, and seen things you never dreamed of, yet you still haven't learned your lesson?"

"I've learned many lessons, Niko," Eizen stated, "and I've found my answer to them. This world and its people are worth defending from your twisted agenda, and I will do so to my last breath."

"Oh come now," Niko pouted. "You've killed our sister and our father, and you still intend to fight? Won't you join me instead, so we can save this miserable world?"

"Never!" Eizen shouted, releasing his grip on Sadie's hand to draw his katana instinctively, Stormhowl forgotten for the moment.

Niko laughed her hellish, deranged laugh. "So be it," she snickered. "In that case, I have an engagement present for you and your fiancé."

Eizen gasped. _How does she know?!_ he thought, alarmed, before drawing on his old mantra: _Focus now, think later._

The Lord of Calamity turned to the dragon hovering beside her own mount. "Lusrov Rulay," she purred, "entertain them."

The dragon that had been Mikleo roared and dove alongside Niko's mount, but while Niko's dragon swung back upwards after gaining momentum and rose into the sky, the other dragon slammed into the ground hard enough to throw Eizen off-balance.

"Mikleo!" Lucine gasped, stepping forward as Eizen stumbled. "Mikleo, stop! Don't you remember me? I used to be Alisha Diphda! I was reborn as a water seraph, just like you were!" She shook her head, tears in her voice. "You were the first seraph I ever saw in my human life! Don't you remember?"

Mikleo roared and lashed at the water seraph with one massive paw; clearly, unlike Forsea, Mikleo didn't have any memories of his previous life, or at least none of someone he knew centuries ago. Sahra darted forward and grabbed Lucine by the arm, pulling her back just in time for the blow to miss.

"Don't bother," the fire seraph said; "he's a dragon, he's already dead and gone. All we can do now is set his soul free."

"And reunite him with Sorey," Lucine said softly. Then, her violet eyes sparked with determination, and she drew her spear as everyone else readied their own weapons. The dragon roared again, and the six heroes dove into battle with the corrupted seraph.

Fully-manifested dragons were the stuff of legends, of nightmares, and to battle one was no mean feat. They'd fought one before, but that one hadn't been focused on fighting back; Mikleo wasn't so easily distracted, and was a lot stronger than Forsea had been, no doubt due to all the malevolence the Lord of Calamity constantly emitted. Though Stormhowl weighed on Eizen's back, unleashing the ancient blade just didn't feel like the right thing to do, and he fought with his katana instead, drawing on all his strength and all his training.

Again, he started to feel that calm intensity he'd experienced during the battle with his father, the one that had so concerned Lord Amenoch, but he didn't fight it - in a battle against a full-fledged dragon, he needed to be at peak performance. The invigoration of an intense battle filled him with energy as he dodged the many-pronged attacks of the fearsome beast. Then, as he slashed at Mikleo's foreleg with his katana, his eyes met those of a de-armatized Sadie, and something sparked between them.

"Fast as a bird!" he shouted at the same moment she cried out, "Roar of the beast!"

A domain froze time, but both Eizen and Sadie were able to keep moving.

Eizen lifted his katana. "Golden blaze of the sun!" he intoned, yellow fire dancing along his blade as warmth like sunlight surrounded him.

"Silver glow of the moon!" Sadie declared, lifting her battleax as it illuminated with power, mana conjuring the image of a brilliant full moon.

Darting towards their enemy from opposite sides, they sliced at the unmoving dragon, back and forth, leaving gold and silver lines of energy in their weapons' wakes as they crisscrossed their attacks, battering the beast from all around, faster and faster.

"In light or in darkness…" Eizen said.

"…we will not fail!" Sadie shouted.

The two of them clasped each other's left hands and spun, weapons outstretched, gold and silver mana blurring together into a pure white wheel of power that slashed through the dragon that had once been Mikleo with terrific force.

"_Anima Eclipse_!"

As the Shepherd and his Squire came to rest, the domain broke, and the dual Mystic Arte ended. He glanced at Sadie, and they shared a grin.

Mikleo roared, and they turned around; as powerful as their dual arte had been, the monster was not defeated. Missing only a single beat, they dove back into the fray.

"Hephsin Yulind!" Eizen called, merging with Edna to blast the dragon with punches and artes strong against the seraph this dragon had once been, and the battle resumed.

For all the strength they'd gained over the course of their journey together, the six of them combined were barely able to hold their own. What was more, though earth beat water, Edna's attacks didn't seem to do much damage - it seemed that once a seraph turned into a dragon, not even their element was retained, and Eizen soon chose to fight without the armatus, preferring to dance with his katana under the influence of the battle-lust of his father's clan rather than experiment to figure out this dragon's new weaknesses. Everyone pressed on as Mikleo blasted them with fire, swiping with tail and claws and horns, his very being radiating malevolence that passed harmlessly over the heroes blessed by the Five Lords but was intimidating nonetheless. Lucine's healing artes gave them some breathing room, but only a little, and both Edna and Sahra were knocked down more than once.

Setting it all aside, Eizen focused, knowing only his weapon and his foe, the movements of his body…but for all his battle prowess, he wasn't perfect. As he leapt to sidestep one of Mikleo's paws, the dragon's jaws opened and lunged for him.

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down, and not with a domain. Eizen saw the gleaming fangs, saw death itself, come for him…and then Sadie was there, shoving him out of the air and away from the attack. Their eyes met for just a moment, and then Mikleo's jaws snapped shut around her torso, piercing her light leather armor and lifting her into the air.

"No!" Eizen shouted as the dragon shook its head back and forth with enough force to break the bones of the captured Squire. "Sadie! _No_!"

A hum from over his shoulder caught his attention. Without thinking, he sheathed his katana and drew Stormhowl, the ancient metal singing with power as Eizen sliced through the air with it, sending a blast of arcane energy at the dark behemoth.

Roaring, Mikleo tossed Sadie aside, the golden-haired human flung against a nearby cliff face hard enough to knock boulders loose, all of which went tumbling to the ground on top of her where she fell. Stormhowl returned to its scabbard, seemingly almost of its own will, and Eizen drew his katana and leapt for the spot where Stormhowl's power had hit the dragon, his blade piercing straight through the dragon's shoulder. This time, the sound Mikleo made was more like a scream, and with four seraphim hitting it as Eizen hacked it apart, at last, the dragon succumbed and dissolved, silver fire burning it away into nothingness.

And then, all was still.

"Mikleo…" Lucine said softly.

"Rest in peace, Meebo," Edna said tonelessly.

"See you around, Mickey-boy," Zaveid sighed, tipping his hat.

"May these weary bones," Sahra said softly, "find peaceful rest." The fire seraph shook her head. "Those are the words of the ones who desecrated Master Rokurou's ways…my descendants…but I'm confident none of them ever meant them like I do. I hope you and Shepherd Sorey will be happy together in heaven, Mikleo."

Still catching his breath, Eizen heard his seraphim, but didn't really register the fact that they'd just killed Sorey's old partner, his eyes focused entirely on the mound of rubble where Sadie had fallen. Sheathing his blade, Eizen stumbled, then ran, over to the newly-disturbed rocks.

"Sadie," he whispered. Then, louder, "Sadie!"

He couldn't see her, and she didn't respond. Panicking, he started shoving rocks aside, desperately trying to dig the woman he loved out of the earth. Then, all of a sudden, the boulders lifted into the air, and though Eizen didn't look away from them, he knew Edna was helping as the stones all soared away to land harmlessly elsewhere, leaving the Squire exposed, lying on her back on the ground by the cliff.

"Sadie!" Eizen shouted, running over to her, his heart already dropping, his blood running cold. Her right arm and right leg were twisted at odd angles, and blood stained her front, pouring from the wounds left by Mikleo's teeth. She wasn't moving.

Dropping to his knees, Eizen tried to lift her in his arms gingerly, unsure how bad the internal damage might be. When he felt his seraphim gather around them, he turned to his water seraph.

"Lucine, help her!" he urged the woman who was already stepping forward. "You have to heal her!"

"Of course," Lucine nodded, crouching down and holding out her hands over the injured human. Light began to pour from her palms, winding over and around the bleeding body, and she gasped. "Oh my," she breathed. "Such terrible injuries…Eizen, I'm not sure I-"

"_Heal her_!" Eizen insisted, cradling Sadie now, just wanting to hold her close. "You have to heal her!"

"I…I'll try," Lucine said uncertainly, the healing arte still washing over the Squire.

"Eizen…"

The soft croak drew Eizen's attention back to the woman he held as she coughed and slitted her eyes, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Sadie," Eizen murmured gently, "just hold still. You'll be okay, you just need to hold on for a minute."

"It's…too late," Sadie choked, shaking her head slightly. "My wounds…are fatal."

"Don't say that!" Eizen insisted. "Lucine's healing you right now, she'll fix you up, everything will be fine."

"It's…okay," Sadie said, and she gave him a weak smile. "At least…I died…for what I believe in…"

"You can't die," Eizen told her adamantly. "We just killed a dragon! Sir Leybon can go screw himself, you'll be hailed as a hero for how you fought back there. And we cast a dual Mystic Arte! That's only possible for two warriors who are perfectly in sync! You…you can't die, Sadie," he said, almost desperately. "You can't die, you can't…leave me…"

"Tell my parents…" she whispered, "I died…protecting this world…and the one…who will save it…"

"I won't tell them that," Eizen said, and something hot slid out of his eye and down his cheek. "I won't _have_ to tell them that. Lucine's healing you, Sadie, you'll be fine if you just hold on!"

Sadie didn't say anything; her ungloved left hand came up and cupped his face, her thumb clumsily brushing away his tear. He felt her start to go limp in his arms, and he spoke desperately, saying the first thing that came to mind that he thought might keep her awake.

"Sadie the Golden," he blurted.

"Huh?" Those brown eyes he loved blinked in confusion.

"That's what your true name means," he told her; "'Bimiuv Kau' means 'Sadie the Golden'." He shook his head slightly, choking on something that was both a laugh and a sob. "The first time I ever saw you, in the cafeteria for lunch during my first ever month of going to school in Ladylake, I immediately noticed your wavy golden hair. I'd never known hair could be like yours; I thought it looked like liquid sunlight. You've always been the girl with the golden hair to me, and when I had to give you a true name, I…I couldn't think of anything else."

"Sadie the Golden," she repeated, and she smiled faintly. "That's really dumb."

"I know," he laughed, though he still felt tears in his eyes. "That's why I didn't want to tell you-"

"No," she said faintly, shaking her head just a little. "I mean, it's dumb because…_you_ are the golden one, not me."

Eizen blinked.

"Your skin," Sadie breathed, her hand caressing his face again. "Your eyes." She closed her own eyes. "Your heart. Eizen…when you made your speech after drawing the Sacred Blade…I tried to remember that I had to hate you, but deep down I knew…" Her eyes opened again, and she looked up at him with absolute trust and faith. "I knew…you are the Shepherd we've always dreamed of. You'll be the one to break this curse on our world, and put an end to malevolence once and for all. I know you will."

"If I do, it'll only be with you by my side," Eizen told her. "I couldn't possibly do that alone, Sadie."

"You're not alone," she said, her voice growing weaker. "You have three heroes of legend and the founder of the Windriders fighting with you."

"I don't mean them!" Eizen cried. "I mean _you_! I can't do this without you, Sadie, I _can't_!"

"Yes you can," she assured him gently. "And you will. I know you will. I believe in you, Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe…I love you."

"I love you, Sadie," Eizen choked. "I love you…"

"I love you," she told him, and she blinked sleepily. "Kiss me, one more time, won't you…Eizen…?"

Without thinking about it, Eizen pulled her closer and pressed her mouth against his own. They kissed each other hungrily, overwhelmed by the taste of Sadie's blood and Eizen's tears, lips moving together and speaking of all the passion and respect they felt for one another, until eventually Sadie stopped returning the gesture, her head falling back limply to break the kiss.

"Sadie?" Eizen asked, not even noticing as Lucine's healing arte ended, and he shook the limp body he held. "Sadie? Sadie, please, please wake up…"

Light gathered around the fallen warrior, then shattered with a sound like breaking glass.

"Sadie?!" Eizen exclaimed, shaking her harder. "Sadie! Sadie, open your eyes! Please, Sadie, you have to wake up! Don't leave me! _Sadie_!"

"She's gone, kiddo."

The sudden voice sent Eizen's head whipping around to see his wind seraph uncle standing tall behind him. Zaveid took off his hat with respectful sorrow.

"The Squire's Pact is broken," he told the Shepherd. "I'm sorry, Eizen…she's gone."

"I tried to heal her," Lucine whispered from where she knelt. "I tried, I really did…"

"We know you did, angel," Zaveid sighed, walking over and sitting down beside the water seraph, who immediately lunged to him and started crying on his shoulder. "You did your best," he murmured, putting his arms around her as she sobbed. "You gave Sadie the strength she needed to say her goodbyes, that's…something. I'm sure she's grateful to you for that."

Eizen watched this exchange, not really registering what was being said; he felt numb, distant, as though he was dreaming. A sniffling sound caught his attention next, and he turned his head the other way to see Sahra wiping her face; beside her, Edna ducked under her umbrella, just a moment too late for Eizen to not see her own blue eyes glistening. He turned back to the bloody, broken body in his arms…and suddenly, through the numbness and the shock, understanding pierced him like a sword through his chest:

_She's gone._

He threw back his head and screamed, a raw, primal howl of agony that tore at his throat in some cheap facsimile of the way his heart and soul shredded inside of him, his entire being torn apart in complete and utter anguish.

_Gone. Gone. She's gone._

When his breath ended, he collapsed over Sadie's body, sobbing, convulsing with pain as tears poured from his face and dampened the light leather armor already stained with blood. There was no thinking, no focus, no feeling but torment. Inside of him, his body seemed to rip into tiny pieces; to breathe in more air so he could keep crying was a gargantuan effort, as everything he was was torn asunder.

Then, over the cacophony of his own agony, Eizen heard another sound: deranged, unhinged laughter.

_Niko._

A white-hot flame of anger ignited somewhere amongst all the pain, and Eizen latched onto it - it felt better than hurting. Furious, he lifted his head, and saw the Lord of Calamity sitting on her white-horned dragon as it hovered overhead.

"Forgive me for my amusement, dear brother," she told him, "I truly hate to cause offense. It's just…I always knew you would learn your lesson one day, but I never dreamed it would happen like this."

"_Niko_!" Eizen roared, releasing Sadie to lurch to his feet and draw his katana.

"Does it hurt, big brother?" Niko asked. "To lose the woman you've always loved just as she began to let herself love you back, to have her die in your arms and be powerless to save her…I can't begin to imagine your pain right now. It must feel as though everything you are is being torn apart and burned and crushed to a pulp all at once; I bet you can hardly breathe. Yes?"

To snarl was all Eizen could manage; disturbingly, the words, though they paled in comparison to their meanings, were entirely accurate.

"This pain you're feeling right now, Eizen?" Niko said, gesturing with her enormous claws at him and the remains of his beloved. "This is what you're fighting for. All this time, you've been crusading to defend a world in which pain like this can come for anyone, at any time." She tilted her head. "There will be no such agony in the world I will build," she told him. "No one will ever suffer like this, ever again - no one will ever die, no one will ever know loss, and no one will ever have love torn away from them. That is the world malevolence can create; that is what I aim to achieve. Do you understand now, dear brother? I want to prevent everyone from ever feeling the way you do now, ever again."

"This pain…" Eizen repeated under his breath.

"I can end your suffering right now, brother," Niko told him seriously, reaching out one clawed hand for him now, black flames dancing along the crimson talons. "Join me, and all the pain will go away, forever. If you'd joined me sooner, she wouldn't have had to die, but if you join me now, it will be bearable. You won't have to suffer anymore, and neither will anyone else. Come to me, Eizen. Join me, and I'll make all this hurt go away-"

"I_ want_ it to hurt!" Eizen yelled at her.

Niko blinked, recoiling in shock.

"This pain I feel right now?!" Eizen snarled at her, stepping over Sadie's body to get as close to the hovering dragon as he could. "It means that I _loved her_! The depth of my agony reflects the depth of how much I cared about her! _That's_ what you're trying to destroy, Niko, you're trying to make a world where no one ever loves or cares again, and I don't want that! I'd rather suffer every moment of every day than be without a heart! So I want it to hurt, I want to feel this pain and I don't ever want it to end, because the day the pain ends is the day I stop caring, and I will never want that! So long as it hurts, I know that I'm alive, I know that I'm whole, and I know that I'm _better than you_! I will _never_ join you! _Go away_!" Sheathing his katana, he reached over his shoulder and grasped Stormhowl's hilt, drawing the legendary nodachi with enough force to send a gale at the hovering dragon, blasting the beast with his power.

The white-horned dragon roared and lurched, just barely evading most of the blow as Niko directed it around the attack before bringing it to rest again.

"I can see you are delirious with grief, big brother," Niko said coldly. "I will give you time to mourn, and soon enough, you will come to your senses and join me at last. Take your time, brother dear; I will always wait for you."

With that, the dragon that had been Lailah swooped down to the ground before swinging upwards and flying away. Eizen watched her go, his chest heaving with rage as he returned Stormhowl to its scabbard. For a long minute after the distant speck was gone, he panted for breath, his fury subsiding and giving way to the agony again, nothing but agony.

Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning, Eizen saw Zaveid, the wind seraph's orange eyes gazing at him with something Eizen had never seen there before, something that was hard to interpret - it was something like respect, admiration, maybe even adoration.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo," he said softly.

Shaking his head, Eizen didn't reply. Already, it was starting to hurt to breathe again.

"Come on," his uncle urged him gently. "Let's take her home now."

"Right," he managed.

Dazedly, as though his body was being controlled by someone else, he walked back over to where he'd been, got down, and scooped Sadie up in his arms. Then he stood again, turned towards Ladylake, and started walking. Silently, his seraphim followed him, as he brought all that was left of the love of his life down Lakehaven Heights to the town where she'd been born, the town where he'd met her, the town where she'd been made a Squire, so that she might be laid to rest.

~o~

Shock and devastation numbed Eizen to the core; there was no room in his consciousness for anything but pain. The announcement that the Squire had died in a battle with a dragon, the fast-tracked funeral arrangements, the gathering of the people of Glenwood who would have enough notice to attend, all of it was meaningless background noise that Eizen didn't register and would never remember. His next moment of full consciousness was in the Ladylake Sanctuary, standing before Sadie's cleaned-up body where it lay just behind the altar of the Sacred Blade. Her cold, dead hands were clasped around the hilt of her battleax, Maotelus was curled around the back of the building, and the Prime Lord and Sub Lords were standing beside their Shepherd and speaking their pieces about the fallen warrior. When silence came, Eizen realized it was his turn to speak, to say something on behalf of the woman he loved before Maotelus gave her a hero's cremation.

And he had to say something. _Something_. He had to.

Taking a deep, painful breath, Eizen glanced at the crowd of mourners filling the Sanctuary, and when that proved too difficult to look at, he turned his gaze to Sadie's lifeless face, and spoke only from his heart, having lost all capacity to filter his words.

"Sadie Halloway was…the strongest, noblest, most beautiful girl I ever knew," he said. "From the moment I saw her at lunch during school, when I was four years old and just starting to learn about the world, I couldn't get her out of my mind, and I was honored when she asked to be made a Squire and join me on our quest to stop the Lord of Calamity. I know our journey tested her, and pushed the boundaries of everything she ever thought she knew, but I'm glad that she was able to find happiness and meaning in what she learned."

Another breath, this one even more painful than the last.

"Sadie died saving me," he said. "She chose to give her life, so that I could slay the dragon Mikleo and continue on our mission to save this world. I…I would rather it had been me, but her will shall live on. I loved her, and I love her still, I will love her even after I die; though we didn't get to marry in this life, like we promised just before facing Mikle-"

"_Lies_!"

The sudden shout cut off Eizen's train of thought, and he looked up to see a beefy blond man in a knight's uniform and a plain brunette woman shoving their ways through the crowd to reach the steps up to the altar.

"How dare you speak such lies over our daughter's grave?!" Mr. Halloway shouted at Eizen as he stormed his way up to confront him. "Our daughter would never have deigned to even affiliate with hellion-spawn like you! She was betrothed to a nobleman, and your tainted blood would never have-!"

A sudden pendulum smacking the obnoxious man across the face cut off his words. Eizen turned, alarmed, to see Zaveid practically shaking with unbridled rage as he stalked away from his Sub Lords to address Sadie's parents.

"How dare you?" Zaveid growled before his voice cracked and rose into a scream that would have echoed throughout the Sanctuary had it not been so full. "How _dare_ you?! Your daughter died a hero, and you want to start something at her own funeral, after all the crap you put her through her whole life?! You wanna spout your bigotry all over your Shepherd, the only person who ever cared about her for who she was, and play the shame game with him? Well, that's a game meant to be played in a group, so let's talk about the skeletons in _your_ closet while we're here, shall we?" Zaveid jabbed a finger at Mr. Halloway. "I know things about you that could cost you your knighthood and get your ass thrown in jail, and as for you…" He turned on Mrs. Halloway. "…well," he said, and Eizen could almost see his nasty smirk, "there are all kinds of dirty little secrets I could tell everyone about you. Ain't that right, _Renee_?"

All the color drained from Mrs. Halloway's face.

"Oh yeah, I remember you," Zaveid told her wickedly. "I told ya I would, though I gotta say, I never thought it would end up mattering like this. So who wants to go first, huh? Who wants to be the first to have all their shame exposed in front of our audience? Speak up now, you worthless heaps!"

"Lord Zaveid…" Renee whimpered.

"Oho, are you volunteering?" Zaveid pounced. "Alrighty then, let's tell everyone all about how you snuck out of your house behind your husband's back in the middle of the night to attend a hellion-spawn girl's birthday party because all your friends were going, and have been so starved for a good time in your regular life that the moment you had some freedom you threw yourself at the first man who looked at you twice-"

"Stop!" Sadie's mother cried, dropping to her knees on the carpeted floor. "Please, Lord Zaveid, please stop! I beg you, no more! Have mercy, _please_!"

"You know," Zaveid remarked, a hand on his hip, "I gotta say, it's a lot less fun when _you're_ the one begging for mercy." He raised his other hand. "Should we find out if it's less fun when you're the one tied up, too?"

The distraught woman gave a wordless shriek of horror. "Please, stop, _please_! How can you be so shameless?!" she wailed, dissolving into tears.

"Shameless?!" Zaveid repeated furiously. "Me?! _I'm_ the shameless one?! Y'all come up here and start spouting your obnoxious ignorance, trashing your daughter's final sendoff, and _I'm_ the shameless one?!" He shook his head, his long hair flying wildly, disgust radiating from his being. "You started this, and when you start something, you'd damn well better be prepared to finish it!"

Renee Halloway sobbed wretchedly on the floor.

"You know what?" Zaveid growled. "It's no fun unpacking your crap, Renee, you're just a miserable little nobody and probably had no say in any of this. So let's move on to the main attraction." The wind seraph turned to Mr. Halloway. "What's your name, jackass? I wanna know exactly what to call you."

Blinking, his face red, Mr. Halloway hesitated.

"Tell me your name!" Zaveid snapped, teeth in his voice.

"M-My name is Donald Halloway," Sadie's father replied.

"Ya hear that, everyone?!" Zaveid called to the crowd, spreading his arms. "Donald Halloway, a lowly knight of Hyland! Let's talk all about his misdeeds, huh?" He turned on Donald again. "Let's talk about how he trained his daughter to be a damn fine warrior, then found out that whoops, noblemen don't like women who can fight or think, they want wallflower decorations for wives. Oh, and speaking of that, let's talk about how Donald Halloway went out of his way to _arrange_ a marriage between his daughter and one Sir Leybon. Oh yes!" Zaveid added as the crowd murmured. "An arranged marriage, against Hyland law, all because he wanted to be even distantly related to the royal family so he'd get a better social standing! An arranged marriage, mind you, between his daughter and a man who hated her guts, who would have treated her like garbage and shamed her every day for who she was - a strong, smart, independent woman who wouldn't just shut up and look pretty for him to show off to his fellow noble-asses! Oh, and let's not forget how Donald Halloway beat it into his daughter from day one that it was somehow _her_ duty to restore _his_ honor, so she _had_ to marry the man he said she had to marry because that was her job, all so she wouldn't get his ass thrown in jail! What was that line you fed her? 'To feel is to fail'? You just said that so she'd think love wasn't important enough to factor into marriage, ain't that right?!"

"Now see here-" Mr. Halloway began.

"Is Sir Leybon even here now, to see his fiancé off?!" Zaveid demanded, quickly glancing over the crowd. "No, let me guess; he thinks she got what was coming to her by trying to go out in the world and do a man's job, he's _ashamed_ he was engaged to a woman who died a hero's death. Ain't that right?"

"W-Well…" Donald Halloway stammered, taking a step back.

"_She was your daughter_!" Zaveid roared furiously at him, at _both_ of them. "You brought life into this world, and it was your job to make sure that that life would be happy and healthy, would thrive and grow into the best person she could be! Instead you treated her like a possession, like an extension of yourselves, meant to further _your_ social standings and feed _your_ egos! You should be ashamed of yourselves, both of you! And I've got news for ya: she _did _agree to marry Eizen and not that jackass you wanted her to marry, because unlike Sir Leybon, unlike either of you, your Shepherd actually _loved her_, he cared about her and believed in her like neither of you ever did - _he_ actually wanted her to be happy, no matter how mean she was to him at first thanks to _your_ crappy parenting! Despite all the garbage you tried to fill her head with, Sadie was a fine warrior, a fine Squire, and a damn fine young woman, and you didn't deserve her!"

This condemnation hung in the air for a long moment. Renee got to her feet, still wiping her face; Donald's entire head was as red as a beet.

Then, out of nowhere, Lucine stepped forward to stand at Zaveid's side.

"Is it really true?" she asked the Halloways. "Is Sadie's former fiancé not even here because he's ashamed to have been engaged to a woman who died a hero's death?"

"W-Well," Mr. Halloway stammered, "Sir Leybon was very clear about…erm…his opinions about a woman's role in the world."

Lucine's hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. "And you made her believe she had to marry such a man?" she asked, her normally gentle voice as cold as ice. "You raised her to think that your social standing mattered more than finding a man who respected her strength?" Without waiting for a response, she took another step forward, her hands shaking, her knuckles white. "You are dressed as a knight," she said.

"I _am_ a knight," Mr. Halloway said, clearly trying to sound proud of this.

"If you are a knight," Lucine hissed, "then you are a disgrace!"

The Halloways weren't the only ones to gasp at this statement.

"'The strength of a knight exists to protect,'" Lucine said, sounding as though she was reciting a quote, one clenched fist coming up to rest over her heart, "'and their kindness serves the people.' If you would brainwash your own daughter into embracing a life of misery and humiliation, then you have neither; you are weak and cruel." Her upraised fist lashed out in a throwing gesture, and she declared, "Donald Halloway, you are no knight of my kingdom!"

"_Your_ kingdom?" Renee squeaked, both she and her husband flinching away from the sudden gesture.

For the briefest of moments, Lucine winced; then, she drew herself up proudly. "I stand before you today as a water seraph," she said, "but long ago, I was a human myself. I too was a knight, as well as a politician, and a figurehead; I gave myself entirely for the good of this nation, for that was my duty in my human life. My name was Alisha. Princess Alisha Diphda of Hyland!"

"Princess Alisha?!" Renee gasped, and she wasn't alone - the whole crowd hissed and seethed in amazement. "The Light of Hyland?!"

"If that is what you call her," Lucine stated. "I may not be Alisha anymore, but I was her once, and that's enough for me to know that she would be utterly disgusted to see someone so selfish and vile as you dressed in the garments of a knight of this glorious kingdom!"

"But-!"

"Leave!" Lucine shouted.

The Halloways stepped back, blinking.

"Begone!" Lucine commanded. "You have no right to see your daughter laid to rest, not after the misery you tried to condemn her to! Begone, before you embarrass yourselves any further! _Begone_!"

"You heard the lady!" Zaveid picked up, stepping up to the water seraph's side. "Get out! Get out before I personally chain up both your asses and throw you out myself!"

Renee, at least, had the decency to glance at her daughter's dead body; her husband seemed frozen.

"Get out!" Zaveid shouted. "You don't deserve to look at her!"

"Leave!" Lucine agreed. "Never show your faces in public again, you disgraces to all that's right in this world!"

Both seraphim started exuding mana in their rage against these wretched excuses for parents; wind and water mixed over them, laced with bits of white fire, and lightning flashed from the storm they conjured as they both shouted one final time,

"_GET OUT_!"

Exclaiming in terror, the two humans fled. The crowd of onlookers parted to let them pass, not wanting to even be near the couple who had been so publicly and adamantly condemned by Maotelus's Prime Lord and the Light of Hyland. _Don't go,_ Eizen thought dazedly. _No…no, not like this. They'll be blacklisted, Sadie wouldn't want that, she wanted her parents to be happy, I can't let that happen._ But by the time he managed to open his mouth, the Sanctuary doors had thundered shut behind the humiliated parents of the late Squire.

With the spectacle gone, everyone turned, not to Sadie, as they should have, but to the water seraph who had revealed her previous identity to them, muttering and whispering filling the sacred space. "The Light of Hyland," they whispered. "The Light of Hyland has returned to us! The Light of Hyland is reborn!"

Lucine turned to Eizen, her porcelain cheeks flushing as she realized what a scene she and Zaveid had made, distracting all the attendants from the reason they were even there. Beside her, Zaveid tipped his hat and sighed.

"Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes," he muttered, barely audible over all the whispers.

Then, he reached out to Lucine and snaked a hand around her waist; before she could even finish uttering a surprised "Oh!", they had both vanished in a gust of wind. A click from the back of the Sanctuary told Eizen they'd left through the rear exit, and Eizen was left to stand where he was, dazed and stunned. A lot of his Sub Lords' speeches and hadn't really registered, and later, he wouldn't remember anything other than the rage of his wind seraph and water seraph, the public reveal of Lucine's identity, and Sadie's parents fleeing in terror as the citizens of Hyland shunned them. That was probably for the best.

Slowly, all the attention returned to the Shepherd, and to his dead, beloved Squire. But Eizen couldn't speak. It was all too much, and the shock was wearing off to give way once more to the agony of his broken heart. Then, the sound of bootsteps on carpet made Eizen turn to see Edna stepping forward, twirling her umbrella.

"Zaveid and Lucine could have been less dramatic about it," she said, "but Zaveid was right about one thing: Sadie was an excellent Squire. Thanks to her, there's one less dragon in the world, and our Shepherd will live to fight for a better future another day."

"A better future," Eizen repeated, and he looked down at the lifeless girl with golden hair. "Sadie…you said you knew I'd be the one to break this curse. I don't know how I would even begin to go about that, but…but I…I'll do it, Sadie!" he sobbed. "I don't know how, but I'll find a way! I'll save this world, no matter what it takes, I promise! For you, my love!"

Tears poured from his eyes, but he kept them open, even as his vision blurred.

"Goodbye, Bimiuv Kau, my Golden Sadie," he whispered. "I love you."

With that, the Dragon of Light, who had been standing back passively throughout the entire service, lowered his head without a word, opened his massive jaws, and unleashed a torrent of white fire onto the dead Squire's remains. Eizen forced himself to look directly into the blaze until every last trace of Sadie was gone, leaving nothing, not even her battleax.

The flames disappeared, and there was only empty space where the body had been.

_Gone._

Broken to his core, Eizen collapsed into a little ball on the floor and cried.

~o~

It might have been hours that Eizen spent there, convulsing with grief and anguish even after his eyes ran out of tears to shed, his face tingling from the effort. Time meant nothing to him, time was pointless in a world without Sadie. All his training for how to handle strong emotions was of no use here, the pain was too intense and refused to burn itself out; instead, it consumed him, and he distantly felt the flames of purification battling traces of darkness in his veins, but even the knowledge that his grief was on the verge of morphing into malevolence couldn't get him to stop suffering.

Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder jerked him out of his agonized trance, and he uncurled himself and slitted his eyes to see a blurry figure that could only be his big sis standing over him.

"You can't stay here forever, baby brother," Edna told him gently.

"Leave me alone," he croaked, not caring how childish he sounded.

"I have," she pointed out. "But it's really late right now, and you need to eat and sleep. You can't save the world for Sadie if you don't take care of yourself."

Eizen hiccuped and sniffled. "Do you think…she'll turn into a seraph?" he asked Edna. "Like Sahra, or Lucine?"

"I don't think so," Edna answered tonelessly. "She was killed by a dragon within the Lord of Calamity's domain, I don't think she qualifies for rebirth."

A fresh dart of agony lanced through Eizen's heart. "You could've lied to me," he choked.

"What good would that do?" Edna asked drily. Then she grasped his arm and pulled. "Come on, baby brother," she coaxed, "come to the inn. Our family's having a big memorial feast in Sadie's honor, you should be there."

More out of a listlessness and lack of will than because he was actually listening, Eizen let his body follow the motions of being helped to his feet and stumbling out of the now-empty Sanctuary. Outside, it was completely dark, with only the stars shedding their little rays of light as they watched the Shepherd with a broken heart lean on the earth seraph with a child's face. When the pair reached the inn, the light inside was almost blinding to Eizen's raw eyes; all the tables and chairs in the dining area had been pushed together, several bowls and dishes laid out and surrounded by everyone else Eizen loved: his mother, his youngest sister, Zaveid, Sahra, Lucine, and even his father, though how Rokurou had gotten there without legs was beyond Eizen's ability to guess at. The room smelled of delicious food, but Eizen found no pleasure in the aroma, not when Sadie was gone.

"There you are, kiddo," Zaveid said, not too cheerfully. "We've been waiting for you."

Saying nothing, Eizen took a spot next to Celica, who was squirming in her chair; Edna sat down beside him, and food was doled out onto everyone's plates. Eizen stared at the spread, as though he'd forgotten what he was supposed to do with it - the concept of eating didn't feel real.

"Eat, baby brother," Edna encouraged him gently, reaching over and spearing a chunk of meat with his fork before bringing it towards his face.

Reflexively, Eizen fought her off, taking the utensil and running it through the curry before scooping it into his mouth.

Flavor exploded on his tongue, flavors of home and love and happiness, and he felt slightly warm as he swallowed, a little bit of life pouring into his veins. Blinking in shock, he turned to his mother; only one person could make food like this.

"Mom…?" he asked.

Velvet smiled at him gently. "Zaveid convinced the innkeeper to let me borrow the kitchen," she explained. "I know it…it doesn't make things better, but…I did my best."

Eizen glanced at Zaveid, wordlessly asking, and the wind seraph nodded at him: a peace offering, penance for losing his temper at Sadie's funeral. A glance at Lucine told Eizen that she felt the same, even if she hadn't contributed. Accepting the apology, Eizen nodded at both of them, extending his forgiveness, and they returned the gesture with brief, faint smiles of gratitude.

"Hey, big brother?"

The squeak from beside him caused Eizen to turn. "Yeah, Cellie?"

"Is it really true you killed a dragon?" she asked as she ate. "One of the ones Niko controlled?"

"Uh…" Eizen blinked again; the fact that they'd ultimately won the battle against Mikleo felt surreal. "Yeah, I guess we did," he replied. "The one that used to be Mikleo."

"Cool," Cellie mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, and she glanced at her father. "Good thing Eizen saved you first, daddy, or you wouldn't be able to go with Niko to the dark place anymore."

"The dark place?" Eizen and Rokurou both repeated.

"Yeah, you know," Cellie said, "that place we always went to to get more malevolence? With the thing? Ku…Koo…Kook…" She shook her head frustratedly. "You _know_," she insisted, "the _thing_? The First Shadow?"

_The First Shadow._ Suddenly, Eizen felt completely awake and alert.

"No," Rokurou frowned, "I don't remember that. I don't remember much from when I was with Niko…"

"Celica," Eizen said in a low voice, "what is the First Shadow?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, scooping more food into her mouth. "I remember it's weird, though. It kinda hurts to look at." She swallowed, frowning. "Words were weird to me when I was with Niko, so I can't really explain it too well."

_But maybe there's someone who can._ Eizen lurched to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over. "I have to go do something," he said quickly in response to everyone's alarmed looks. "Keep eating, I promise I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a reply, Eizen lunged for the door and dashed through Ladylake, back to the Sanctuary, flinging the doors open and charging up the steps to Uno's vessel.

"Uno!" he shouted. "Uno, get out here now, I need you!"

The water seraph who stood as the local Lord of the Land emerged. "What is it?" he asked passively.

"Summon Maotelus," Eizen ordered him. "I need to speak with the Great Lord _now_."

Uno blinked.

"_Now_!" Eizen shouted. "This is important!"

"V-Very well," stammered the Lord of the Land, and he closed his eyes.

Light began to emerge from underfoot, and Eizen bounded down the steps to the middle of the room so Maotelus would have room to manifest. When the Dragon of Light took form at last, Eizen stepped forward.

"Maotelus," he began, "I need to ask you something, and you need to tell me the truth."

"I…Very well," Maotelus replied, clearly surprised but nodding his massive head all the same.

Eizen met his glowing eyes. "What is the First Shadow?" he asked sternly.

Maotelus blinked. "The First Shadow?" he repeated. "I…don't know."

"You must know!" Eizen snapped. "You're the Great Lord of Lords! I don't care if it's some sort of big secret, Niko knows what it is and it has something to do with how she's able to wreak so much havoc, I need to know the answer!"

"Eizen, I've never heard of something called the First Shadow," Maotelus stated. Before Eizen could argue, he added, "But I'm not the oldest seraph in the world, despite my title. Maybe the other Great Lords know what the First Shadow is, and even if they don't, if the First Shadow exists, then the Earthen Historia must know about it. I don't know the answer, Eizen, but I can find it for you."

"You have to find it," Eizen told him. "You have to, Maotelus, we can't proceed in our battle against Niko unless we know what the First Shadow is. Please," he added, suddenly remembering his manners, "this might turn out to be the key to breaking the curse of malevolence. I need to know the truth."

"Then I will find it for you," Maotelus declared. He tilted his head. "It might take a while, but…the morning after tomorrow morning, I will return here and tell you whatever I've managed to find in the next day and a half. I promise I'll spare all the time and energy I can to ask the other Great Lords and scour the Earthen Historia. I'll find your answer, Eizen."

"I will wait for you," Eizen avowed. "I won't face Niko until you come back with your findings. I'll be waiting, so please, please come back with what I need."

"I'll do my best," Maotelus promised, and he dissipated back into the earth.

Eizen stood there for a long minute, reeling. _You said I'd be the one to break this curse, Sadie,_ he thought. _I'll do it. Whatever the First Shadow is, I'll find out, and I'll break this curse. For you._

Then he went back to the inn where his family waited, to pass the time until Maotelus returned.

* * *

**If this was a game, it's around this point that I would add the sidequest (contained entirely within Ladylake) to unlock Katz Korner, and I'd add some sort of shenanigans with time travel or something so that there would be two exits to Katz Korner, the second of which would take the team back to the time just before the player got to the Lefay Shrine while still allowing for the dual Mystic Arte, the water armatus's Mystic Arte, and Lucine's new Mystic Arte, which I'll show off in the next chapter. The team wouldn't remember anything about Sadie's death and stuff, of course; there would be some kind of skit or something making some sort of justification for it, but it'd be for the sake of the game and everyone playing would know it. That would open up any postgame content and allow for the pursuit of whatever sidequests there might be (including one about how Symonne was a human who had the Twelve Year Sickness before she was reborn), which would inevitably involve some character development that we haven't seen and won't see happen in this fanfic. The trophy earned for doing so would be thus: "[image of a Katz] 'Interdimensional Cleanup' - Proof that you've traveled back in time through a hidden dimensional rift, so that you may use the powers you hadn't yet earned to tend to any unfinished business. What would you and your Squire say to each other if you'd been able to bring your memories of the future with you, too…?" If only this could be a game…**


	22. Don't Give Up

The rest of the dinner passed in somber silence, apart from when Celica asked the others a question, which was always answered as thoroughly as possible. Then, Zaveid and Velvet helped Rokurou back to the priests' bunker, and Eizen went with them, taking one of the cots in the shack that wasn't already claimed by his sister or parents, the latter of whom simply slept quietly, not disturbing their children. By some unspoken consensus, all four seraphim sheltered inside of Eizen for the night, and despite their shared pain, he was glad for the feeling of companionship as he fell into a fitful sleep.

Morning dawned, but the agony felt as raw and unbearable as it had the previous day. Eizen got up and dressed himself robotically, cleaning up and offering grunts of greetings to his parents and sister before stepping outside. Sunlight shone on him, but didn't warm him, and his seraphim emerged to stand by his side.

"So," Sahra said in a subdued tone, "I guess we…go look for Niko now?"

"No," Eizen replied, and he took a step forward before turning around to face all of his seraphim. "Maotelus is looking into something for me, and he'll be back tomorrow morning. What he tells us might change how we approach Niko for the final battles, so I don't want us leaving Ladylake until we have the information we need. Today, we'll just…take a break, I guess. Hang out."

No one smiled, or moved. With all the anguish that reverberated through his body with each beat of his heart, the idea of 'taking a break' felt like a bad joke to Eizen.

_Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes…_

The Shepherd blinked as something connected in his mind. "Edna, Sahra, Lucine," he sighed, "you're all free to do what you want today. Zaveid…please come with me. I need to talk to you, in private." He raised his eyebrows very slightly at Edna, offering an invitation to spy on them if she felt like it, and her fraction of a nod told him she would follow.

"About what?" Zaveid asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Just come with me," Eizen told him, and he turned his back and started walking.

At the Ladylake marketplace, the girls hesitated before splitting off from the boys and going their own separate ways, while Eizen led Zaveid towards the Sanctuary.

"The Sanctuary?" Zaveid asked. "I thought you said you wanted to talk in private. You really think it'll be empty in there?"

"It has to be," Eizen stated. "That's where she is, and I want to talk to you there."

"It ain't _your_ Sanctuary, Shepherd," Zaveid reminded him, "and it's not like I'm gonna tell everyone inside to clear out."

"Let's just see what there is to see," Eizen sighed, pushing the doors open.

Miraculously, it was apparently early enough that no commoners had come to pray yet, or maybe everyone just wanted to leave the place alone after the previous evening's events. There were priests, of course, and Uno stood by his vessel, but Eizen stepped forward all the same.

"Shepherd," one of the priests greeted him, turning from his companion at the sound of the opening door.

"Please leave us," Eizen told the holy men; he was in too much pain to care about etiquette. "I need to speak with my Prime Lord alone, and I'd like to do it in here. We need solitude."

"As you wish," another priest bowed. "We shall ensure that no one disturbs you."

"Thank you," Eizen said, blinking with surprise at the gesture, and the men all left for the exits; even Uno walked outside, leaving Eizen and Zaveid completely alone, unless Edna was lurking somewhere unseen after sneaking in through the priests' departures.

Without a word, Eizen walked up the steps to the altar of the Sacred Blade and sat down behind it, cross-legged, his eyes drawn to the spot where Sadie had last been. Behind him, Zaveid sat back, leaning against the short wall between the altar and Uno's vessel and tucking his hands behind his head, his legs extended and crossed. "Listen, kiddo," the wind seraph sighed, "I'm sorry for losing my temper yesterday-"

"I don't want to talk about that," Eizen said quickly, turning around to face his uncle.

"Then what's this about?" Zaveid asked.

Eizen let out a heavy breath. "Sadie's gone," he said, the words torn from within him more painfully than if he'd ripped his own lungs out through his throat. "She was going to marry me, we were in love, and then she died in my arms, and I couldn't help her, I couldn't do anything but watch. You…are the only person I know who understands what that feels like."

Any remnant of happiness or casualness in Zaveid's face was snuffed out, though his posture didn't change. "Do you really need my advice?" he asked. "What you said to Niko yesterday was the noblest thing I ever heard; you already made your choice."

"It was easy to say it then, when Niko was there," Eizen said. "But when I'm alone…"

"Alone with the pain," Zaveid finished, nodding. "I hear ya. But I don't know what you want me to say. You want me to tell you it gets easier? It doesn't. You want me to tell you how to live with the pain? Hell if I know. The only thing I can say is, don't do what I did."

"What _did_ you do, uncle?" Eizen asked desperately. "Theodora died fifteen hundred years ago, and you're still here, you're still alive-"

"Debatable," Zaveid muttered.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, uncle Zaveid!" Eizen snapped, his voice cracking. "You lost the woman you loved, too, and you're here now! I need to know how you did it!"

Zaveid's orange eyes met his for a long, somber minute; something behind those red-brown irises seemed haunted, deeply so, and Eizen felt a flicker of fear as to what exactly the eventual response might be, though even fear couldn't last long in the face of the relentless agony of his broken heart. Then, the Prime Lord sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

"Yeah," he conceded, "you do need to know, so you don't make the same mistake. I've never told anyone what I did, and I thought I never would…heh," he chuckled humorlessly, "it's almost funny; Edna's been asking me to tell this story our whole journey. She didn't need to know…but you do, so I'm gonna tell ya. I've never told it before, and I'm not gonna tell it again, so listen carefully…to the story of my greatest sin."

"Greatest sin?" Eizen repeated, blinking. "Uncle…what did you do?"

Another sigh came from the centuries-old wind seraph, this one even heavier, and at last, he looked up again, revealing an expression of raw emotion that shook Eizen even through his unbearable grief. "I gave up," the Prime Lord answered.

"You…what?" Eizen asked, baffled.

"I gave up," Zaveid repeated.

"Gave up on…?"

"Everything," Zaveid said; "life, the world, myself, everything I believed in, I turned my back on everything and-" He broke off and shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. "Look, I ain't telling this right. Gimme a minute, I never thought I'd have to explain this to anyone."

Eizen was more than willing to let Zaveid gather his thoughts, but as he waited, he couldn't really feel anything in response but confusion. Giving up, a great sin? It wasn't a good thing, sure, but to call it a 'greatest sin', especially for someone like Zaveid…

After a minute, Zaveid exhaled slowly. "Guess there's nothing for it but to just lay it all out," he muttered, more to himself than his human nephew, and he took another long, deep breath, leaning back in his seat and fixing his eyes on some point in the middle distance.

Despite himself, Eizen perked up, focusing every ounce of his attention on the wind seraph - Zaveid never opened up, so if he was going to do so now, then Eizen absolutely had to listen closely.

"I'm not gonna say anything cheesy like 'my heart died with her'," Zaveid began at last, "because that ain't what happened…as much as I wish it had been. No, my heart didn't die with my girl; I know it didn't, because after she was gone, I still had the ability to feel…and what I felt was pain. Incredible, unbearable pain, pain that consumed everything I was, pain that broke me down every moment of every day. It wasn't fair, y'know? My girl was the most beautiful soul to have ever graced this earth, and she was twisted into a monster, while I…I'd never been the pinnacle of purity, not even back then, and I'd escaped unharmed, all because…" Zaveid's expression twisted, his fists clenching, and Eizen blinked, realizing he'd never wondered why the malevolence that corrupted Theodora never took hold of Zaveid too. "All because I went and got captured by the Abbey," he growled.

"Oh, that's right, you were a tethered malak!" Eizen exclaimed, recalling his parents' story of the original way people with resonance had used seraphim to combat malevolence.

"Briefly," Zaveid nodded. "And that was only because…because when those bastards started rounding up malakhim and putting them under the Suppression, eventually finding where my girl and I were living with the kids we were trying to protect, I gave myself up so she could escape." His face was a mask of raw agony as he stared into space, remembering. "See…when Innominat awoke, the exorcists started capturing malakhim and using them to fight the hellions, but they didn't take us all at once - the world was too big for that, and Innominat was too weak to pull off a blanket suppression of us all, at least at first, so they had to go out of their ways to hunt us down. My girl and I lived pretty far out of the way, and we coulda laid low, but…" He smiled wistfully. "Well, she wasn't the type to just sit back and watch as the world went to hell. Hell, she wasn't the type to just sit around even when everything was good, she was always living full speed…Anyway, back then, the only cure for corruption was death, so once everyone could see hellions, the world was thrown into absolute chaos, lives and homes and families were torn apart…and kids were left alone, with nothing, for no reason."

Eizen flashed back to the end of the Earth Trial, when Zaveid had been so wrecked by the identity of the Minotauros. "And you and Theodora took them in, right?" he remembered out loud. "You adopted them…"

"My girl loved everything that lived, but she used to say that there was nothing in this world more precious or more important than a child," Zaveid said, and Eizen wasn't sure if his uncle had heard him or not. "Once everyone could see malakhim, even though we weren't safe - not from the Abbey, and not from malevolence - she insisted on taking in any kids we found. We laid low with 'em as best we could, of course; only trouble was, malakhim don't need to eat, but humans do. So I went out and…ah…hired, some human chefs to cook for the kids for us, and…maybe that's how we got found out." He shrugged. "Or maybe not, maybe they would've found us anyway, the bastards had their ways, so I can forgive myself for that. But not for…not for what happened when they came for us." Pain crossed the wind seraph's face again, and Eizen was silent. "See…much like our dear, late Squire, the people rounding us up had no idea we were people. They didn't know we lived lives, formed families…loved. Why would they think that? According to their savior, malakhim were just tools - and to be fair, he didn't lie to them about that, he just left out the part where his followers were just as much tools as we were as far as he was concerned. Actually…" Zaveid frowned, blinking with what looked like surprise. "Come to think of it…he gave up too, didn't he?" he mused.

Eizen blinked too, recalling the story of Shepherd Artorius's despair, how he couldn't save his wife - Eizen's own aunt - from a hellion attack, and gave up on himself and the world in response…and with that connection made, the idea of giving up being a terrible sin started to come together. _The forgotten maxim…_His mother had thought he didn't understand the importance of the forgotten maxim, and now, slowly, he was starting to see why. He _hadn't_ understood…but now…

"How about that?" Zaveid chuckled humorlessly. "I'm just as bad as Shepherd Artorius…Hell, I'm worse…Anyway, what was I saying?" The Prime Lord shook himself, returning to the present. "Oh yeah. So, I knew that, if I gave those Abbey bastards no reason to think anyone was living in our place but me and some humans, they wouldn't look too hard for more malakhim. I told my girl to hide, and then I went out, obediently playing the tool, and let 'em put me under the Suppression, to keep her safe. And it worked, at least at the time." He shook his head. "But after Van Aifread used Siegfried to bring me back and all that went down, I went straight back to find her…only to find out she'd turned in my absence, that the fate I'd saved her from had actually saved _me_ from ending up permanently worse than dead…in her place. Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes-"

As he spouted the catchphrase he used to dismiss such things, Zaveid choked on the words with a sob. Eizen stared, amazed to see just how deep the guilt ran in his hell-may-care uncle.

After composing himself for a moment, Zaveid lifted his face again, balling his fists. "It should have been me," he growled. "I thought I was protecting her, but in reality, I abandoned her to an even worse fate, and saved myself instead. And then I abandoned her again, and let that bastard put her down." He shook his head. "It should have been me…Why couldn't it have been me?…"

"Sadie died to save my life," Eizen said softly, his own anguish swelling in his chest as he remembered that horrible moment when his Squire had pushed him out of the way of the dragon's jaws. "I feel…the same, I guess. Like it should have been me who died, not her."

"It's not the same!" Zaveid snapped, glaring up at him. "It was _my_ actions that caused it, it was _my_ _fault_!"

Eizen flinched. "You were trying to keep her safe, though," he pointed out. "You were just trying to protect her, you couldn't have known-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Zaveid cut him off with a glare. "I know…" He sighed. "…and that's why failing her like that is only the second-worst thing I've ever done. My greatest failure, maybe, but not my greatest sin."

"So your greatest sin is…?"

"I told ya," Zaveid responded; "my greatest sin was how I handled it…or didn't handle it. I _couldn't_ handle it. How could I? How could I just move on? It was all my fault, and it wasn't fair, it shouldn't have happened to her; but it did, and now I was alone, without her, without the woman who gave my world meaning, who made everything beautiful and inspired me to embrace life and live it to its fullest. It hurt…so damn much…Everything was pain after that. Everything.

"Back then, my only friend in the world was your namesake." Zaveid gave a dark, horrible chuckle. "Now there's a cruel, sick joke for ya: my only friend in the world was the man who killed my girl. To his credit, he did try to help me…" The wind seraph scowled. "But what the hell did _he_ know?" he grumbled. "The only person _he_ ever loved was alive and well - and sure, he couldn't be around her 'cuz of his Reaper's Curse, but they exchanged letters, he sent her gifts, he knew she was happy and safe. How the hell could he ever truly understand what I'd lost, what he'd taken from me? What right did he have to advise me on how to carry on, when I was trapped in a miserable life without my girl, my everything, all because I tried to save her? He kept telling me to just deal with the pain, but there was no pushing through the agony, it hurt too damn much!"

He took a breath to calm himself and shook his head again, then continued.

"I told him a couple times about an idea I had for an oath to make it all bearable: no more emotions, in exchange for no more pain," he went on. "It was a fair trade, I thought, but he wouldn't have it. Kept talking about how using seraphic power to suppress emotion was Innominat's answer to everything, and how that never ended well, as I knew from experience - kept _shaming me_ for trying to find an easy escape, for wanting to go back to the nothingness, even if it was on my own terms. And it worked. I never took that oath. Instead I just kept going, trying to take each day as it came. Nothing made me feel better, the pain never eased. Living without my girl was like living without sunlight, without air, and nothing made it easier, nothing made it bearable. Years went by, and I tried to push through…but I was too weak, and finally, I couldn't take it anymore." Another sigh. "So, I did the only other thing I could do: I retreated to some isolated little corner of nowhere - place probably doesn't even exist anymore - and began the long, slow, painful process of destroying every last bit of me that gave a damn."

"Huh?" Eizen managed. "I…I don't understand…"

"See," Zaveid said heavily, turning his eyes on Eizen again, "I knew what you know: that the reason it hurt was because I cared. So long as I cared, so long as there was some part of me that was good, I would still suffer, the pain would never end. But I wasn't strong, not like you; I didn't care what I had to do, what I had to sacrifice, to make the pain go away. It was no easy feat to pull it off without getting seraphic oaths involved, I can tell ya that - I'm not even sure it would be possible for a human. But I isolated myself and took my heart apart, piece by tiny piece, hardening it, smothering it, and scattering its remains to the wind. I knew I had to stop feeling, had to stop caring - 'Stop caring,' I told myself, 'just stop caring, the world doesn't care about you, it didn't even care about her, why should you care about it?' It didn't matter what I would become, didn't matter that I was damning myself to hell, I figured hell couldn't possibly be more agonizing than the pain I felt back then, nothing could ever hurt me more than losing her. And I knew what I would become - a scoundrel, a bastard, a sinner, on top of being a coward who couldn't handle the world - and I didn't care about that either. All I knew was that I had to make the pain stop, no matter what it turned me into. Didn't matter that I'd be the villain of every story I was ever part of after that, didn't matter that I'd be worthless and damned, nothing but scum, I didn't care, I just had to make it stop. My heart tried to fight back; every single day, for years, it almost felt like my soul was asking me if I was really sure this was what I wanted to do, if I really wanted to give up and destroy everything about me that had any value, and I always answered yes, yes, I was willing, just as long as the pain went away." He sighed again. "Then, one day, I woke up…and found that I didn't have to try anymore. My soul was empty, my heart was cold and dead…and I could breathe again."

Eizen shook his head. "I don't understand," he repeated. "Despair is a form of malevolence. How did you not turn into a dragon?"

"Oh, I was tempted, trust me," Zaveid told him. "To just not be myself anymore, to forget everything I'd ever known and everything I'd ever been? Hell yeah, that was mighty damn tempting. But…I couldn't. I couldn't take that step. If I ended up like my girl, it would be an insult to her memory - the only reason I wasn't a dragon already was because she died in my place, if I turned anyway then she would have died for nothing. 'Course, by then, we seraphim were able to produce malevolence of our own, and I was producing a hell of a lot of malevolence - not just despair, mind you, but selfishness and cowardice, and also hatred-"

"Hatred?" Eizen repeated, surprised.

Zaveid's orange eyes glared at him. "I hate this world, kiddo," he stated. "I despise this cold, miserable world, a world that would take a beautiful heart like hers and turn it into an instrument of destruction, a world that would turn sisters against brothers and fathers against sons, a world that would leave children hurt and alone without having done anything to deserve it, a world that's so rife with cruel, sick jokes. I hate it here, I hate this life. And come to think of it, I've embodied all eight forms of malevolence in my time. Greed and lust? Obviously. Conceit? I mean, have you seen me?" he asked, spreading his arms, and a surprised chuckle forced its way out of Eizen's throat. "And obsession…well…" Zaveid let out another deep breath. "That came later, I guess. Like I said, I was producing malevolence, but I couldn't let myself turn into a dragon, I just couldn't. So, instead, I took an oath: For every bit of malevolence in this world that I destroyed, a chunk of the malevolence within me would go with it."

"Destroy malevolence?" Eizen repeated, confused all the more. "But…But you didn't have the power of purification…"

"Nope," Zaveid grinned nastily. "But I had Siegfried, and that's just as effective. So, I became a hunter - I hunted hellions down and took 'em out."

"You killed hellions," Eizen breathed; it was a stunning realization, considering how he knew his uncle felt about killing.

"I _saved_ hellions," Zaveid corrected, his eyes narrowing, "just like your namesake did for my girl. It was the only way I could get by without ending up like her. When I finally returned to the world, I was a different man…a broken man. I never told your namesake what I'd done, but I think he probably knew; at least he had the decency not to lecture me. Maybe he just knew there'd be no point, but more likely it had to do with his damn creed about how living means making your own damn choices." The venom in Zaveid's voice as he talked about the seraph Eizen had been named after surprised Eizen - he'd thought Zaveid and the seraph in question had been friends, but it sounded like Zaveid had hated the man. This made it all the more baffling when Zaveid continued, "We still hung out even after I came back, of course, we drank together and fought together whenever our paths crossed, comrades…friends, with a bond of understanding between us - until he went and turned into a dragon himself, that is. Apart from that, though, for a thousand years, I was obsessed with the hunt; my life was one long string of hellion kills and one-night stands. And then-"

"Wait," Eizen interrupted, "one-night stands?"

"Yeah, you know," Zaveid smirked, waggling his eyebrows. "Hit-'n'-runs?"

Eizen blinked, completely lost.

"Love 'em and leave 'em?" Zaveid prompted. When he still didn't get a reaction, he pointedly added, "With the ladies?"

"_Oh_! R-Right," Eizen stammered, blood rushing to his cheeks as it clicked. Despite his embarrassment, though, he also felt a surge of curiosity. "Did that help?" he asked.

"Did what help what?" Zaveid responded.

"Your, uh…" Eizen cleared his throat uncomfortably. "…one-night stands, did they…help you feel better?"

Zaveid shrugged, folding his arms behind his head again. "I mean, I have no complaints, it's not a bad life," he replied. He gave a lopsided smile and added, "It wouldn't work for you, though."

"Why not?" Eizen asked, more out of curiosity than because he actually disagreed.

Zaveid laughed. "Heh heh heh, listen to you," he chuckled, and he shook his head, taking a breath. "Well, kiddo, it's really simple. In order to live like that, the first step you gotta take is to do the one thing we've already determined you ain't gonna do: give up."

"How come?" Eizen questioned, not seeing the connection.

"Just trust me on this one," Zaveid advised. "It takes a…an exceptionally broken, empty, heartless sort of man to share his body with a lady for a night, then get up and walk away without looking back like it never happened."

"Er…right," Eizen managed, his face still hot. "When you put it that way, I…I guess I can't really see myself living like that."

"Nor would I want you to," Zaveid nodded, almost approvingly. He waited a beat, then went on, "In my defense, I never lie to them. I'm always completely open and up-front with exactly what a girl can and can't expect of me - I tell 'em, 'I'll give you the best night of your life, but I'll be gone in the morning, and if you ever happen to see me again, I'll act like we never met.'" He shook his head, not quite ruefully. "Kinda sad how few of 'em actually listen, but hey, at that point, it ain't my fault if they decide to get invested and end up with broken hearts, I told them the truth and their choices are their own fault."

It was the casual, dismissive way Zaveid referred to the women he'd been with as "them", more than anything, that drove his point home for Eizen. It was like listening to a bee talk about the flowers it had gathered nectar from over the years - maybe some were memorable, but all of them were ultimately meaningless, nothing but a means to an end and spared no more than a passing thought.

"Uncle Zaveid," Eizen said slowly, "can I ask…how did you end up doing that? I mean, it just…it seems like a weird step to take, after…after losing someone…"

"I mean, it wasn't _that_ big of a leap," Zaveid shrugged. "I've never had a problem with giving attention to the ladies." For the first time since they'd started talking, he actually gave a real, full smile, gazing off into the distance as he recalled a fond memory. "My girl used to think it was adorable," he reminisced. "Kept teasing me about how, for all my dirty jokes, I was nothing but a big softie underneath - 'a proper gentleman', she used to call me." He chuckled, and then the humor was wiped from his face as he remembered all over again what had become of the woman who had said those things.

But Eizen was shocked. "You mean you flirted with other girls even when you were with Theodora?!" he exclaimed.

"Well, define flirting," Zaveid responded, giving another shrug. "I said what was on my mind, that's all. But if a girl ever happened to reciprocate, which…" He frowned. "…come to think of it, happened surprisingly often back then…well, I'd just step back and say, 'Sorry, sweetheart, I'd love to show ya a good time, but if I did, my girl'd kick my ass.'" He threw up his hands for emphasis.

"Would she?" Eizen questioned.

"Eh, maybe," Zaveid answered dismissively. "My girl wasn't a violent woman, but she was passionate. In the end, though, that was never the point - the point was to convey the message, that I was taken and I wasn't gonna stray. Most chicks got it; some didn't, but I'd always cut and run immediately if that happened." Zaveid took another breath, then continued, "But after my girl was gone - and, more importantly, after I gave up - well, I didn't have any reason to say no anymore, did I? So I didn't." He gave an empty grin, and this time there was some ruefulness to the expression. "Admittedly, I mighta gotten kinda hooked," he confessed. "To answer your question, yes, it does make me feel better - no worries, no cares, no strings attached, just pure fun. Plus, getting to not think for a few hours is always a nice little bonus." Another dark, nasty chuckle followed this statement. "Heh heh…the simplest way to temporarily escape from my sins is to commit even more. It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"Not think?" Eizen repeated.

Immediately, Eizen regretted his question, as Zaveid turned an evil smile on him. "Tell me something, kiddo," he smirked, "when you kissed Sadie after she agreed to marry you, were you thinking?"

"Well…" Eizen recalled the incredible, thought-destroying bliss that had filled him as he and Sadie had kissed each other with nothing holding them back. "No, but-"

"Now imagine if you'd actually let me and my Sub Lords give you some private time and you'd gotten to go all the way with her," Zaveid continued, still smiling wickedly, and he snickered. "Kiddo, if you'd gotten to ride off into the sunset with your girl like you wanted, you wouldn't be doing much _thinking_ at night, believe you me."

Heat surged up to Eizen's head; his face felt hotter than it had when he'd burned it for the Fire Trial. Desperately casting around for some means to change the subject, he asked, "You said that was your life for a thousand years? Not fifteen hundred?"

"Well, no," Zaveid sighed, his face falling again as they got back on topic. "See, like I told ya, after a few centuries, your namesake went and turned into a dragon, and I of course had a promise to keep: that I would kill him. Even a wind seraph can't outrun a dragon, but when he flew off, I knew where he was headed - he told me about the mountain where he was born all the time, and exactly how to find it, so I'd be ready for this eventuality, since dragons tend to head for the earthpulse points where the seraphim they used to be were born…like my girl did. So I made my way to Rayfalke Spiritcrest, and sure enough, I could feel his malevolence even from the base. Siegfried in hand, I climbed all the way to the top, and I found him, all right…but as soon as I saw him, I also saw her."

"Her?"

"_Edna_," Zaveid said in a pained voice. "She was right there, in front of the dragon who used to be her brother…trying to talk him down, trying to appeal to the man he'd once been. I knew who she was the moment I laid eyes on her - your namesake had described her to me often enough. She was pleading with him, desperate to get her brother back, and I…well, I couldn't help but see myself, y'know? After all, I'd done the same with my girl after she turned. I still had a promise to keep, of course, and I stepped forward and tried to take him down…but then Edna tried to stop me, actually used her earth powers to try to drive me off and protect her brother, and in that moment, I knew…I couldn't do to her what he'd done to me. I just couldn't. Even if he hadn't begged me to protect her with his last sane moments in this world, I…I couldn't run the risk that someone else would end up like me." He sighed heavily. "So I ran. Coward that I am, I turned my back on the one thing I had left to do in this world and ran away, killing other hellions instead to counterbalance the malevolence that ate away at me.

"I never forgot, of course - I'd wanted to kill the bastard for centuries, and now I finally could, his presence was always at the back of my mind no matter where my hunts took me. I'd work hard to try to steel myself, gather the resolve I needed to do what I had to, then go back to the Spiritcrest one more time…and almost as soon as I saw Edna, I'd always lose my nerve and give a halfhearted attempt before running away again. This went on for hundreds of years, and me too cowardly to just kill him…"

But it didn't sound like cowardice to Eizen; it sounded like compassion, like he really cared about Edna, despite his claim that he'd destroyed every part of him that could care about anything. Though Zaveid clearly believed what he was saying, his story didn't add up, and Eizen wondered if the seraph himself could see that or not.

"And then," Zaveid continued, "during one of my many visits to the mountain to try and put your namesake down for good, I happened upon a human and a couple of seraphim who were fighting a hellion way stronger than the three of them combined. The thing was carrying a lot of malevolence, and I decided to step in and take it out myself…and the trio I'd saved went and got _mad_ at me for killing it." He laughed, almost fondly. "I knew, of course, I'd stumbled across the latest Shepherd, I mean, who the hell else would he be? And they were about to go charging right into a dragon's lair without much more strength than a newborn puppy. So, with them mad at me, and me not particularly wanting them to end up making my job more difficult - and seeing an easy way out, at least for the day - I made sure they didn't plan on fighting the dragon, then picked a fight with 'em to drive the point home that they were powerless. They didn't manage to do much damage, but I went easy on 'em and let 'em smack me around just enough that I could make the excuse that I wasn't strong enough to fight a dragon myself and run away again. Soon as I was injured enough, I called off the fight and left.

"I didn't think much of it at the time - it was just a funny happenstance, a little blip in my endless hunts. But then, a few days later, I was out hunting in Westronbolt Gorge, and I ran into that same Shepherd and his posse again, a posse that had expanded to include another human and two more seraphim…" He shook his head, still smiling. "…and those seraphim were a young wind seraph I'd raised a few centuries earlier, and Edna."

"You're talking about Sorey!" Eizen exclaimed as he suddenly understood.

"That's right," Zaveid nodded. "Sorey the Shepherd, and his team. It was the first time I'd ever seen Edna away from Rayfalke Spiritcrest, and…well, I mean, your namesake had tasked me with making sure she was safe with his last sane words in this world, so I was a little concerned - being a Sub Lord is a dangerous job, and I needed to make sure his Shepherdness could keep your namesake's little sister safe. So, since they got in the way of my hunt, I made some excuse about being tired of them butting in and picked another fight with 'em, this time for real." He chuckled. "They whupped my ass," he said proudly. "I've never been happier to lose a fight. I let 'em go, knowing that if Edna would be safe with anyone, she'd be safe with them. But then…" His smile dropped, and he sighed. "Then I had a choice to make.

"See, with Edna no longer guarding her brother, I _could_ have gone and fulfilled my promise and killed him like I always meant to…but by then, I knew there was something…wrong, with the world. The wind didn't feel quite right, the earthpulse wasn't flowing properly. Something bigger than me was going on, something bigger than what most Shepherds had to face, and Siegfried's power might be the world's only hope."

"Wait, what was going on?" Eizen asked, already lost again.

Zaveid glanced at him. "You know," he prompted, "since it was the Age of Chaos? Something in particular marked that Age? A thing I can't talk about?"

"Oh, that's right!" Eizen exclaimed as he remembered. "Maotelus was corrupted at that time!"

"Like I said, something was wrong," Zaveid continued, "and there was no guarantee the flames of purification would be enough to remedy it, but there was a chance that Siegfried might. I only had two bullets left, bullets I'd been saving for your namesake, but…it wouldn't matter if I kept my promise, or if I was able to stop myself from turning into a dragon, if the Shepherd couldn't succeed at what he was doing and Edna ended up dead for his failed efforts. I deliberated with myself for a while, but when the wind told me they were about to confront some jerk in Pendrago, I decided to wait outside the gates for them.

"I didn't tell them what I knew, of course, or what I was doing or why. I made some excuse…I think it was something to do with Dezel, I don't remember now, it didn't matter; all that mattered was that I needed to know if they would be strong enough to make good use of what I might give them. So I picked one last fight with 'em, this time giving it everything I had, and in the end, they still won. So, I handed over Siegfried, my only lifeline, told 'em how to use it, gave 'em my last bullet, and walked away, figuring I'd have to find some other way to do what I needed to do." Zaveid sighed again. "But then, of course, that very night, Dezel went and got himself killed, leaving Sheps without a wind seraph, and only me around to step up and take the position myself."

"And that's how you became Lailah's Sub Lord," Eizen concluded.

"Yup," Zaveid nodded, "that's how it went down. Now, at first I only tagged along because I knew they needed a wind seraph or they'd all end up dead, and I couldn't let Edna be in that kind of danger - at most, if I was lucky, I figured I might be able to convince the team to help me kill your namesake. But then…" The wind seraph smiled sadly, giving a slight shake of his head. "Then the damnedest thing happened. See, I figured they'd all hate me, since I'd done nothing but pick fights with 'em and was taking the place of a beloved companion of theirs, but…they didn't. They didn't hate me. Instead, before long, I was…one of them. They were my comrades…and then…they were my friends. Damnedest thing, that…a guy like me, with friends…" He shook his head again, sighing as he lifted one hand to rub his face. "Between that and the fact that Sorey was basically hope incarnated into a person, well…incredibly…it was enough."

"Enough…for what?" Eizen asked.

"Kiddo, we seraphim can produce malevolence nowadays," Zaveid explained, "but not nearly as much or nearly as easily as humans do. To produce the kind of malevolence I did, I had to be _exceptionally_ broken, with absolutely nothing redeeming me. Now, that was what I'd committed to being, and I tried to stay that way, I tried to fight it, but…working with Sheps and the gang, being part of a team, I…I couldn't help but start to feel, just a little, the tiniest, faintest, itsiest-bitsiest little glimmer of hope again - as much as a heartless, soulless bastard like me could, anyway. And that was enough to counterbalance all the darkness in me, or at least enough of it that I wasn't in danger of turning into a dragon anymore. So, after Sorey was gone and took Siegfried with him, and realizing I could live without killing anyway, I took an oath to never kill again, in exchange for the power to conjure illusions. Then I ran into your father one day and cast an illusory arte for him, he took my vague hint and ran with it, and, well, the rest is history." Zaveid shrugged and leaned back, his story done.

Settling into his thinking stance, Eizen unpacked all of this, sorting through the events in his mind. "So…" he finally said slowly, emerging from his musings, "you're not heartless anymore. After everything you went through, you still came back and-"

"Oh, I'm still heartless, kiddo," Zaveid assured him darkly, tilting his head forward so he could aim a slit-eyed glare at his human nephew. "Before I came back to the world, I made sure I was broken beyond any sort of repair, and I still am. I'm damned, and there's no undoing that."

"But you don't live like you used to," Eizen pointed out. "You don't kill anymore-"

"I only ever killed because it was that or turn into a dragon," Zaveid pointed out; "killing had nothing to do with being dead inside."

"But you don't do one-night stands anymore either," Eizen argued.

At this, Zaveid threw his head back and laughed, as though this was some hilarious joke. Confused, Eizen blinked, and when Zaveid's mirth had died enough for him to open his eyes and meet Eizen's gaze again, he smirked.

"Now," the wind seraph snickered, "why would you assume something like that?"

"Huh?"

"Is it just because I never made you watch?" Zaveid all but jeered. "Some uncle I'd be if I did. Not that I'd mind showing you how it's done, but your father would eviscerate me if I tried to give you a demonstration, and his swords are pretty damn intimidating."

"But…" Eizen shook his head, unwilling to process his uncle's words.

"Come on, kiddo," Zaveid laughed, "I never had my own room in the treehouse, though your father could easily have built one for me - he offered to do so more than once, but I always turned him down. What did you think I got up to when I wasn't visiting with y'all? Hell, even when I was hunting for Omega Elixir ingredients, I always took time to enjoy myself, even if I left that part out when I came back with my tales of what I did to find 'em. Come to think of it, I _did_ tell you about it, when we stayed in Marlind a few nights ago. What did you think I meant?"

"I thought maybe you were joking," Eizen replied faintly.

"Nope," Zaveid responded, almost smugly. "I haven't joked about that kinda thing hardly at all since I gave up; I might tease your mother, but besides that, what reason do I have to not be serious? In recent years especially, it's been easy - seraph ladies tend to be so stoic, but humans trip over themselves for me. Call what your father caused by rescuing your mother a calamity if you will, but lemme tell ya, it has done _wonders_ for my-"

"_Uncle_!" Eizen yelped.

Zaveid snickered, wickedly, and gave his nephew a nasty smile. "What?" he asked pointedly. "Drown me out all you like, but this is who I am now." The wind seraph's lopsided grin twisted strangely, and his gaze went distant for a moment. "If my girl knows, I'm sure she's horrified," he said softly. "She told me once that, since we don't breed, it's a waste of time and energy - of _life_ \- to do it if it doesn't mean anything. But, see, the thing is…" He turned back to look Eizen square in the eyes. "_I don't care_," he stated. "I don't care about anything. Nothing means anything to me anymore, so why shouldn't I just enjoy it for the empty, meaningless, fun nothing that it is? This is all I am now, and you don't want to end up like me, do you? So it's for the best that you know up front…" He lifted a hand, curled his fingers, and jabbed his thumb at his chest. "This is what happens when a man gives up," he declared.

"But…" Suddenly, for some reason Eizen couldn't pinpoint, a memory arose at the back of his mind, a memory of looking around for his uncle during Celica's tenth birthday party and not being able to find him, assuming he was just lost in the crowd. "Cellie's party…" he whispered.

"Oh ho?" Zaveid blinked, surprised but apparently impressed. "Well well, you're pretty sharp after all, kiddo! Yeah, that was some party, I had a _great_ time." He grinned nastily, leaning back in an utterly smug fashion.

"You…" Eizen swallowed, fighting the urge to gag.

"Don't bother with the lectures," Zaveid advised him; "Edna already chewed me out when she found out. But at least it makes sense that _you'd_ be surprised, unlike her." He spread his hands. "This is who I am, kiddo," he repeated. "I'm damned to hell, and nothing will ever change that, I gave up on any chance of redemption when I gave up on living with the pain of losing my girl; there's no reason for me to not have a little fun before I burn. I'm a scoundrel, a sinner, a coward, and a bastard, and that's all I'll ever be, all I _can_ ever be."

"But you care about us!" Eizen argued desperately. "You care about Edna, about my parents, about Cellie, about me, even about Niko-!"

"I care about y'all as much as a man like me can care about anything," Zaveid dismissed, "and that ain't much. Of course, even a little bit can seem like the world when it's all you've got. I'll tell you one thing I've gotten pretty damn good at since I gave up, though: _pretending_. Pretending to be more than I am, pretending to be happy, pretending that that tiny amount of caring that I can muster is as much as what a man with a heart could feel. Pretending is all I do most of the time, to be honest; I'm still empty and dead inside, without a soul, my heart cold and lifeless. I gave up every bit of me that was good, and I made damn sure I could never turn back. I am what I am now. I'm broken, and nothing can save me."

There was so much wrong with this statement, not least of all being the fact that Zaveid clearly believed his own words. "My parents were broken, too," Eizen pointed out.

"Look, don't get me wrong, I've got nothing but respect for your parents for finding their ways back to their humanity after everything they went through," Zaveid told him. "_Nothing_ but respect…hell, maybe even a little envy. But not even your mother gave up as thoroughly as I did; it ain't so simple for me. Malevolence was your parents' price for being broken, and though I know it wasn't easy for them, all they had to do was realize they were broken and decide they didn't want to be anymore, and then the flames of purification fixed them…but there's no power in this world that could ever save me, I made damn sure of that when I destroyed my soul. Nothing can fix me, nothing can save me. _Nothing_."

Eizen stared at him, running through all the possible arguments in his mind, and then settled on the one he felt needed to be said the most. "I bet Lucine could save you," he countered softly.

"Lucine?!" Zaveid repeated, jerking in surprise. "The hell are you on about?"

Eizen rolled his eyes. "Come on, uncle, we all see the way you look at her," he informed the wind seraph.

Zaveid's orange irises drifted to the corners of their sockets, aimed as far away from Eizen as possible. "Don't know what you mean," he mumbled.

"Yes you do," Eizen said; "like she's the most beautiful thing in the world and you could never want or need anything else. Don't bother trying to deny it," he added firmly as Zaveid opened his mouth, "we've _all_ noticed."

"Look," Zaveid sighed heavily, "if in fact I do look at Lucine…_differently_, sometimes, it's only because she looks like my girl."

"She does?" Eizen asked; this was not something he'd even remotely expected.

"Yup," Zaveid nodded. "She doesn't act anything like my girl, not for the most part, but in looks, they're scarily alike. Her hair colors are reversed - blue to white instead of white to blue - but besides that…" He lifted a hand, making a circle with his thumb and forefinger. "…dead ringer," he declared.

"So Theodora was a water malak?" Eizen asked.

"Oh yeah," Zaveid shrugged, dropping his hand. "Hey, even seraphim marry outside their clan sometimes. It might seem a little odd, but it makes sense if you think about it. I mean, where in nature do you see a stronger relationship between two elements than in the bond between the wind and the waves?" His face fell, and he continued, "That's all it is. Lucine's just a reminder of everything I lost…of the man I used to be, the man I destroyed. That's all she is or will ever be to me besides yet another pretty lady: just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"But…" Eizen shook his head, still processing this revelation. "But that's not how you look at her."

"Oh, no?" Zaveid countered. "Then how _do_ I look at her?"

"Like she's…you know…" Eizen fumbled for a minute. "Like you've been living in an endless night for hundreds of years and she's a new dawn on the horizon," he managed at last.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Zaveid asked, almost laughing.

"I mean you don't look at her like she's something from your past," Eizen insisted; "you look at her like she gives you hope for your future!"

"What future?" Zaveid scowled. "The only future a guy like me can hope for is one that doesn't last much longer."

"Doesn't last…? Uncle, you're a _seraph_," Eizen said, bewildered by the wind seraph's statement. "And you're only a little over two thousand years old, you're still really young by seraph standards-"

"Well, I just have to hope I'm one of the more short-lived ones, don't I?" Zaveid retorted. "Besides, ever since I fulfilled my promise to kill your namesake, I've been taking oaths to shorten my life, or at least I did until Edna made me stop. I managed to shave off a good five thousand years or so before that, though."

"Shorten…?" Eizen breathed. "Uncle Zaveid, you…"

"I'm many things, kiddo," Zaveid said gravely, "but I'm not a hypocrite. 'Death is a kind of salvation, for some;' that's the answer your namesake helped me find when he convinced me to let him kill my girl, and once I gave up, I had no reason not to embrace that answer fully. It's true, death is indeed a kind of salvation - it was for her, and it will be for me when my time comes. Granted, I have nothing but the fires of hell to look forward to, broken as I am, but at least I won't have to live in this awful, miserable world anymore."

_He really wants to die._ That was the missing piece that made the full image of Zaveid the Oathkeeper fall into place for Eizen. Zaveid _wanted_ to believe the world would be better off without him, and he even tried to make it true, because he didn't want to be part of the world himself. He'd done horrible things, telling himself he'd already given up and it didn't matter anymore, even though he very clearly did still have the capacity to care and be a good person - he made excuses for any good deed he did, because he wanted to believe he'd destroyed everything in him that was good, that he was what he was and there would be no turning back, because it was easier than facing a world that had taken everything from him, not realizing that the world had given him back a lot, too. He wanted to be dead inside, _tried_ to be dead inside, because at the end of the day, he simply wanted to be dead.

But he was wrong.

"Zaveid," Eizen said slowly, "I understand that you're still struggling, but…you're not dead inside. You still feel the pain of Theodora's loss-"

"It only hurts when I think about it," Zaveid dismissed, "and even then, it doesn't hurt as much - it's just a faint echo of the person I used to be, nothing more. Back when I had a heart, the pain was always there whether I thought about it or not, and it was all I could feel."

Eizen had to concede that point, knowing his own experience - even listening to the story of his uncle's past hadn't really eased the gnawing anguish in his chest. "But there's still a bit of good left in you," Eizen pressed. "I know there is, uncle, I've seen it my whole life, you're not completely dead inside."

"I am," Zaveid stated. "There's nothing left of me."

"That's not true!" Eizen shouted. "I get that you're still suffering, but you can still find your way back. If you'd just let Lucine help you-"

"Oh, quit banging on about Lucine, would you?!" Zaveid cut him off with a snarl. "She can't do anything for me!"

"But she wants to," Eizen told his uncle. "She looks at you like that, too-"

"You think I haven't noticed?!" Zaveid snapped. "I'm _broken_, Eizen, not blind! I see the way that girl looks at me, like I'm…like I'm more than this, more than a heartless bastard who could never do anything but hurt her. I've been trying to get her to see that she's wrong, even had Sahra put in a bad word for me, but she keeps on giving me that look no matter what I do." He shook his head, glowering as though a nice girl like Lucine believing in his heart was the worst possible thing that could happen. "I'm honestly starting to think about taking drastic measures."

"What do you mean, 'drastic measures'?" Eizen asked, already worrying.

"Well, I _am_ the Prime Lord," Zaveid shrugged. "I can make my Sub Lords do anything, technically. I'm thinking of trying something on Sahra - not Lucine, the whole point is to not break her, but Sahra's tough, she can handle it, and if Lucine's watching-"

"What do you mean, _it_?!" Eizen exclaimed, his blood running cold. "What are you going to make Sahra do?!"

"Doesn't matter," Zaveid answered; "whatever it takes to get Lucine to understand what I am. Hopefully I won't have to do anything too awful, but anything's on the table at this point - she _needs_ to understand."

Eizen was innocent, but he wasn't ignorant, especially not when it came to his uncle. "Zaveid," he said in a low voice, "if you abuse your Prime Lord powers like that, I will tell Maotelus and have him break your Prime Lord pact - I know Sahra would be willing to take the job in your place. Then, I will go find Aline and make her my Sub Lord of wind instead of you. Then I'll come back here and tell my parents what you did, and they'll never let you anywhere near anyone in our family again. If I was a seraph, I would vow this by my true name, I would take a seraphic oath for it; I will do all those things, Zaveid, I will take away everything you have right now, if you do that."

Each of these declarations clearly cut deep - Zaveid physically recoiled away and curled in on himself defensively more and more the longer Eizen spoke. But when Eizen was done, Zaveid's face was blank. "Still," he whispered, and Eizen felt sick. "I don't deserve what I've got anyway, and if it's what I have to do to make her understand-"

"She'll probably see through the whole ruse anyway, thanks to her blessing!" Eizen all but shouted, his stomach heaving. "She'll be able to tell that you hate yourself when you make Sahra do anything!"

"_Ugh_," Zaveid growled, "that damn blessing…not sure what the hell she thinks she sees through it when she looks at me like I'm some kinda…I dunno…" He shook his head. "I swear that blessing's gonna be the death of me…"

"Or maybe it'll be the opposite," Eizen said pointedly. "If you stop pushing her away, maybe in the future-"

"I don't have a future!" Zaveid snapped.

"I said the same thing," Eizen pointed out.

"Yeah, and see how wrong you were!" Zaveid retorted.

Eizen closed his eyes and took the blow silently, knowing that Zaveid was only lashing out because he was scared, because he hated himself and the world too much to dare to hope for something more. After spending a long minute letting the sting burn out, leaving only the anguish he did still feel over Sadie's loss, Eizen opened his eyes and spoke.

"Uncle Zaveid," he said coldly, "thank you."

"For what?" Zaveid growled.

"For showing me what not to do," Eizen answered, and he stood up. "You're right. I don't want to end up like you."

"I'm glad you realize that," Zaveid said bluntly.

"Yeah," Eizen went on, "I can't imagine anything worse than being so consumed with misery and self-loathing that I wouldn't be able to do anything but push away my second chance when life handed it to me."

Zaveid's jaw dropped, but no words came out of his mouth, and Eizen turned and walked down the altar steps.

"W-Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Zaveid called after him.

"To think," Eizen shot over his shoulder as he headed for the main doors to the Sanctuary, "and to give you time to think, too. You need it more than I do."

Absolutely no response met this declaration as Eizen strode through the main room and exited the front door, leaving it open just a little longer than necessary in case Edna was with him. A couple of priests were standing guard outside, and Eizen assured them that his conversation with his Prime Lord was over and they could open the Sanctuary to the public again. Around a couple of corners in the marketplace, Eizen was not surprised to find all of Edna's things that she'd been given by her brother laid out neatly in a pile. In the same moment his big sis's pendant moved, she became visible again, wearing only her dress as she re-donned her other equipment.

"Good job," she told Eizen dully. "I'm glad someone said it to him; I'm just sorry it wasn't me."

"Did you know any of that, big sis?" Eizen asked.

"No," she shrugged. "He's been talking about his 'greatest sin' for a while, but he wouldn't tell me what it was. Can't believe he really thinks giving up is worse than anything else he's done…"

"No," Eizen mused, "it's…definitely a terrible sin. What a person does is one thing, but what matters most is who they are, and he didn't just do a bad _thing_, he chose to be a bad _person_ \- or at least, he _thinks_ he did, and he's tried to be. But I don't think he's as unforgivable as he thinks he is."

"Of course he's not," Edna stated, straightening up, fully dressed in her various possessions again, twirling her umbrella over her shoulder. "Not unless he stays determined to be a dirtbag, which he has been so far…" She sighed. "I'll keep trying to make him stop fighting his feelings for Lucine - because you're right, it's not just who she looks like that gets to him. But you've done enough, baby brother." She looked up at him, her blue eyes softening. "Are you…going to be okay?" she asked.

"…Yeah," Eizen nodded. "I'm still in pain, but…I don't want to end up like uncle Zaveid, or - or Shepherd Artorius or my mother, for that matter. I'll find some way to live with it, to keep in mind what I told Niko yesterday. I won't give up, Edna, don't worry."

Despite the agony of his breath, which didn't ease even a little, reaching this conclusion put a stop to the burning sensation in his veins where the flames of purification combatted malevolence. It was okay to be sad, to mourn, to grieve, even to feel as though every waking moment was torment; that wasn't malevolence, that was life. Malevolence was wanting to give up because of it, and now that he'd seen firsthand an example of what he could become if he gave up, he knew there was nothing he wanted less.

"Good," Edna nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Why don't you go…find Sahra and Lucine, and spend the rest of the day with them?" Eizen suggested.

"That depends," she responded tonelessly; "what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go talk to my father," Eizen replied. "There are…some things I want to discuss with him, and I might as well get all of the difficult conversations I have to have out of the way in one day."

"In that case, I'll go find Sahra and Lucine and spend the rest of the day with them," Edna stated.

Eizen laughed, even if he didn't really have the capacity for mirth on the inside just yet. "Hey, uh, if you do find them," he added before they split up, "could you please tell Lucine to…maybe do something, today, about Sadie's parents' situation?" The smile he'd managed to muster died. "No one will ever want to have anything to do with them again, now that they've been publicly denounced by the Light of Hyland, but if Lucine…I don't know, talks to the royal family, or someone, or something, she can fix that."

"Sadie's parents deserved to be publicly humiliated and more," Edna pointed out bluntly.

"I…maybe," Eizen admitted. "But Sadie wouldn't want that. She…she was willing to give up everything so her parents could be happy, this isn't what she wants. Please, Edna…please ask Lucine to find a way to fix this. Please?"

"Fine," Edna sighed, turning her back and twirling her umbrella. "I'll see what I can do. Take care of yourself, baby brother."

"Yeah…you too," Eizen said, and they parted.

~o~

Eizen strolled through the marketplace, heading for the back alley that led to the priests' bunker where his family was staying, alone with his thoughts and grief. But though he still mourned, there was an odd sort of…acceptance, to it, that hadn't been there before his talk with his uncle - it wasn't that it hurt _less_, but more that the pain didn't seem like it would mark the end of his existence anymore. There would still be a future, and there would still be life; life and a future without Sadie, true, but as painful as the thought was, it would be what it would be. _Besides,_ he told himself, _I always knew I would be alone…_

"Eizen! Hey, bro, wait up!"

The voice, still familiar after weeks of life-changing experiences, made Eizen turn to see his best friend David jogging down to meet him at the bottom of the steps to the marketplace. For once, the gray-eyed boy wasn't smiling.

"Hey man," he panted, putting a hand on Eizen's shoulder. "Sorry I haven't had time to catch up with you."

"It's okay," Eizen assured him, "I haven't really given you time. How are you?"

"Don't worry about me," David said seriously. "I'm worried about _you_. Were you really going to marry Sadie?"

"Yeah," Eizen sighed, a little twinge of extra pain lancing through his heart - the heart he still had, and would never give up on. "Our journey changed us, both of us, but mostly her. She learned a lot about how the world really worked, and…we fell in love."

"Well, you've _always_ been in love with her," David teased.

But Eizen shook his head. "Nah," he said, "I just had a crush on her. Once I really got to know her, though, and got to see who she was under all her attitude…_then_ I fell in love with her. And she got over being a bully, too, she really did. She didn't even…didn't even mind the idea of marrying a man who's going to have to kill his own sister…"

"You make it sound like you have to do something bad," David said. "Come on, man, your sister's been nuts since she was born, and she made her own choice to become the Lord of Calamity - you kill her, you save us all. How come you aren't out doing that now?"

"I'm waiting on something first," Eizen replied, deciding not to go into details. "Listen…what have you been up to since I left? I know I was gone for a while."

"I've been training!" David said proudly, and he reached down to unbuckle the flap of a holster of some sort that hung from his belt, then pulled out a spiked mace. Eizen stared at the weapon, surprised. "I realized I'm not so good with blades, but I can hit things with this sucker pretty well!" David's smile dimmed, and he added, "Listen, I…I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but…I mean, you're without a Squire now, and…I'd still like to join you, if you'd let me."

"No," Eizen said firmly. "No, David, I won't let you become my Squire. I'm not going to have any more Squires."

"Aw, c'mon," David begged, "let me join you! I know I can help in a fight now, and…like, your water seraph is Princess Alisha Diphda, but what about that fire seraph? You let _her_ join you, is she a good fighter?!"

Despite himself, Eizen laughed, and this time he actually _felt_ it, if only faintly. "David," he smirked, "Lucine may be the reincarnation of the Light of Hyland, but Sahra is the reincarnation of my father's best student, the founder of the Windriders."

"The founder of the Windriders?!" David gasped. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Eizen replied, "and the founder of the Windriders trained in the Rangetsu style under my father long ago. Both Sahra and Lucine have kept their memories, and they're as adept as warriors now as they were as humans - maybe even more so, now that they cast seraphic artes."

David shook his head and put his mace away. "Alright, I take it back," he said; "you're traveling with four legendary heroes, no way could I ever fit in with that bunch."

"It's not that I don't think you could fit in," Eizen told him, "I just…I don't want anyone else to end up like Sadie. You're my best friend, man, I don't want to put you in danger. Besides, we only have a fight with a dragon and the Lord of Calamity herself left - you haven't even battled grunt hellions before, you can't start out where we are."

"Yeah, you're right," David conceded. "You're killing me, but you're right. Look man, I just…I wanna help, you know?"

"You do help," Eizen said softly. "It helps to have a friend I know I can count on." He thought a moment, then added, "If I did make you a Squire, I know exactly what your true name would be."

"Oh yeah?" David asked brightly. "What's that?"

"Miyam Iatei," Eizen told him; "David the Loyal. You've always stood by me, no matter what's happened, even when you found out about my family's history."

"Hey, _you've_ always stood by _me_," David shrugged. "Our first year of school, I didn't know how to make friends, and you just walked up to me and introduced yourself like it was nothing. No matter what happens, you're a good guy and a good friend, Eizen. I'm glad I can be friends with you."

"Thanks," Eizen said, some tension he'd been carrying since the night Niko turned easing, and he felt his shoulders relax slightly. "There's been so much chaos since my sister became the Lord of Calamity, I…I can't tell you how much it means to me to still have something I know I can count on to stay the same."

"I'm here for ya," David promised, and he grinned again. "Miyam Iatei, David the Loyal, that's me! I'll bear my true name with pride!"

"You're not actually a Squire," Eizen reminded him, chuckling.

"Yeah, but I still get a true name," David boasted. "I'm gonna tell everyone I know, I have a true name given to me by the Shepherd himself!"

"Go spread the word," Eizen laughed. "I have to go have a talk with my dad. If I get a chance, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Don't worry about it," David told him. "Go save the world. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines no matter what."

"Thanks," Eizen smiled. "Later, man."

"Later."

Though David's smile faltered, as though he really didn't want to leave Eizen alone, he did turn and walk back up the steps. Eizen watched him go, taking a deep breath that didn't hurt quite as much as most had in the last day. Finally, he turned and walked down the path, eventually coming to the priests' bunker. Outside, Celica was flailing two sticks around in a sloppy imitation of the short-sword side of the Rangetsu style.

"Slower!" Rokurou called to her from the steps. "You're too sloppy, you need precision if you want to strike your enemy where it matters; don't work on speed until you have the moves themselves down!"

"Hey guys," Eizen greeted, walking in on them.

"Eizen!" Celica squeaked, bounding up to him. "Look, look! Daddy's starting to teach me! It sucks that he can't show me himself, but I'm learning, see?!"

"Yes, I see," Eizen chuckled. "Listen, I, uh…I need to talk to dad. Can you give us a minute alone?" Celica began to pout, but before she could argue, he added, "Once we're done talking, I'll help him train you. I'll even let you hold my katana and practice some greatsword Rangetsu style moves."

"Wow, really?!" Cellie exclaimed, dropping her sticks.

"Of course," Eizen smiled at her. "Just go run around for a bit, and we'll probably be done when you come back. But don't knock anyone over!" he called to the girl who was already darting away.

"She never stops moving," Rokurou remarked from his perch as Eizen walked over and sat down beside him. "In the entire history of our clan, this is probably the first time the instruction 'slow down' has ever been given to a novice; she's got the energy and the passion to be a real Rangetsu. Now if only she'd learn control, I wouldn't even have to teach her all that much…"

"She'll grow out of it," Eizen said certainly. "She's been bedridden her whole life, being able to run around is something she'll never take for granted; once she's older, she'll figure out how to enjoy her energy more responsibly."

"I hope so," Rokurou chuckled, and he gave Eizen a smile. "So, what's on your mind, son?"

"I…" Eizen faltered, realizing what he was about to say. "I, uh…well, I went all over the world to get the power I needed to stop Niko. I went to the frozen north, the marsh beyond the desert in the west, and the seaside pastures in the south."

"I've seen it all," Rokurou told him. "Hell, I saw it all change from a bunch of islands to one big landmass."

"Yeah, I know," Eizen sighed. "But it wasn't just the places I saw; I met some people too…a couple of people you know."

"Really?" Rokurou asked, surprised.

"Do you not know about the Lords of the Land?" Eizen asked. "You've been wandering everywhere for fifteen hundred years…"

"Yeah, but I tried to stay away from towns and cities whenever I could," Rokurou reminded him. "I didn't want to cause a big fuss that would make my training harder to focus on."

"Well then," Eizen sighed, "I guess you wouldn't know…but Bienfu and Morgrim are still out there. Bienfu is the Lord of the Land in Meirchio, and Morgrim is the Lord of the Land in Pendrago, the capital of the Rolance Empire."

Rokurou blinked, and Eizen knew his father understood, but the ancient swordsman didn't respond.

"They were both helpful to me," Eizen went on at last. "Morgrim told us about a fire seraph in the north who could help us, and Bienfu helped us pinpoint her location. And Morgrim also…says that Shigure is walking at my side, lending me his support wherever I go, and that he's proud of me."

At this, Eizen's father scowled, and he knew this was a conversation he'd needed to have.

"She didn't tell me about the barbaric ways of House Rangetsu," he told his father; "she said it was your job to tell me. But she also said I…didn't have the brutishness Shigure was trying to get away from. And that…Shigure died proud to have been killed by you."

"I know that much," Rokurou muttered. "He wouldn't have been much of a Rangetsu if he didn't see the honor in dying to his younger brother."

"Dad," Eizen sighed, "I've come to terms with what you told me when I defeated you in battle, with the true legacy of our clan, so…we don't have to talk about that right now, if it's too much for you. But…I mean, I know you have a lot to figure out, especially now that you…well…" He gestured to his father's reduced limbs. "But if you can…at some point, I'd really appreciate it if you could travel to Pendrago and talk to Morgrim. She doesn't hate you, and I…I think you and she could still reconcile."

"There's nothing to reconcile over," Rokurou stated. "We took opposite sides, that's all there is to it."

"I don't think so," Eizen said gently. "I think it's a lot more complicated than that. Please, dad…you and Morgrim have things you need to talk about. Please go see her."

In response, the crippled swordsman sighed heavily.

"And maybe eventually, you could make it all the way to the north to visit Bienfu," Eizen added after a moment. "It'll be difficult to get that far, but…I think it'd be worth it if you and mom reunited with an old friend."

"Difficult," Rokurou repeated. He looked down at his diminished body, eyeing his one remaining hand and flexing his fingers gently. Then, a spark seemed to light in his copper eyes, and he looked up at his son. "Yeah, that would be difficult," he agreed, "which is why I'm gonna do it." He smiled, that same proud, fierce smile Eizen knew and loved. "That's gonna be my next dream - to get myself all the way to the frozen north without help!"

"Without help?!" Eizen repeated, alarmed. "Dad, I don't think-!"

"I'll find a way!" Rokurou declared. "I have a new rival now, a truly worthy opponent: my own body! And I'll win! Don't you dare think I'll give up - somehow, some way, I'll make it up there before I die!"

He seemed so alive, that old passion rekindled to such a strong blaze, that Eizen found it hard to argue. "I'm sure you will, dad," he said instead, allowing himself to smile. "Just as long as you stop by Pendrago on the way and talk to Morgrim."

"Eh…maybe I'll visit her on the way back," Rokurou shrugged.

"I'll tell mom about it," Eizen told him pointedly.

"Oh, fine," Rokurou grumbled. "I'll visit with Morgrim, too. But only once I've visited Bienfu in the frozen north!"

Knowing it would be pointless to try to change his father's plans, Eizen nodded resignedly. "Good," he said. "I'm glad you can both get some closure eventually."

"Yeah, yeah," Rokurou grumbled as Celica burst back around the corner and into view, but the light didn't leave his face, and Eizen got a feeling it never would again.

"Are you done talking yet?!" Cellie demanded, hopping up and down in front of them. "Come on, Eizen, teach me, teach me!"

"Alright, alright," Eizen laughed, and he stood up and drew his katana, instructing his youngest sister on how to hold a blade that was as long as she was tall.

As he began passing on all that he knew of his ancestors' greatsword techniques, his sister grinning and shrieking with delight, his father smiling with renewed vigor as he called instructions to his children, Eizen finally felt a bit of his burden ease. Sadie was gone, but he still had his family, and maybe that was enough.

* * *

**For more on my headcanon for the relationship Zaveid and Theodora had, see my Berseria-only M-rated oneshot, "Live, No Matter What", which I just posted at the time of posting this chapter.**

* * *

**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of Sadie's corpse outlined in white fire] "The Depths of Despair" - Proof of learning your Prime Lord's darkest secret. Now that you know what your loss could turn you into, you have no choice but to push through the agony.**


	23. We Are Not Defeated

Edna wandered through the marketplace slowly as she kept an eye out for Sahra or Lucine, mulling over the conversation she'd spied on. Zaveid's stupidity went far beyond her wildest imagination, but the fact that he really believed all that crap about himself meant that her job was going to be a lot harder than she'd thought. _Should I tell him I know?_ Edna wondered. _Would it make things better, or worse? I have to be careful with him…_

Neither the water seraph nor the fire seraph appeared to be in the marketplace, and Edna's meandering brought her to the upper-class district of the city. Down some streets and around some corners, she suddenly caught sight of red and blue, and quickened her pace to join Sahra and Lucine in front of the mansion where Lucine had once lived as the human princess, Alisha.

"Oh hey, Edna," Sahra said brightly as Edna reached them. "Where have you been?"

"Keeping an eye on things," Edna replied with a shrug.

"Is everything okay?" Lucine asked, and her violet eyes seemed to pierce Edna to her core. "You're troubled…"

"I mean, there's a lot to be troubled about," Edna admitted. "But I'm handling it. Thanks for your concern." She glanced between the two women and added, "You know, if you two used your blessings in conjunction with each other, you'd make an unstoppable duo. Criminal justice wouldn't require anything but the two of you to sort out any court case imaginable. I'm sure most people would be honored to be judged by the Light of Hyland."

Sahra laughed, and Lucine hugged herself. "They really call me that," the water seraph mumbled. "I heard them, yesterday at the funeral…they really call Alisha 'the Light of Hyland'."

"Yup," Edna answered dully. "I remember in his ninth year of school, Eizen had to write an essay for his history class, and the prompt was basically 'explain why Princess Alisha Diphda was the best thing that ever happened to the world in the history of ever'. Not in so many words, of course, but that was the gist."

"I can't imagine it was a very long essay," Lucine mumbled, flushing even deeper.

"Well, you know," Edna shrugged, "about ten pages or so."

"_Ten pages_?!" Lucine yelped, utterly mortified.

"Good for you to step up and admit to your secret like that, by the way," Edna went on. "It took strength; you should be proud."

"Well…it was all of you who gave the the courage to do it," Lucine responded, smiling through a faint blush. "Everything that everyone said at the Water Trial…and…" The smile dimmed. "And then seeing how horrible Sadie's parents really were, in person, and seeing that one of them wore the regalia of a knight of this kingdom…I had to say something."

"Yeah…well, Eizen wants us to maybe put in a few words with a few people so the Halloways won't be totally blacklisted," Edna told her. "Seriously, no one's going to want to be even remotely associated with them now that they've been publicly judged by you of all people, and that's not what Sadie would want. Still, you can probably undo the damage as easily as you did it, and as much as you like. Your name is gold around here."

"So my…my treaties," Lucine stammered, still blushing as she met Edna's eyes, "and the reforms I proposed…?"

"All passed," Edna confirmed. "Most of them are still in effect to this day, shaping the lives of humans across the continent and making life better for Hyland and Rolance alike."

"I…I never dreamed…" Lucine mumbled, grasping her forearm as she turned her gaze to the cobblestones underfoot.

"Lucine's been telling me all about her human life," Sahra informed Edna. "How she used to live in this mansion right here, and all her work politically and as a knight and as a Squire to the Shepherd Sorey…" She scowled. "And about the jackass she married."

"So you really are still thinking about Gareth?" Edna inquired.

"My memories of him were the first to return to me," Lucine said, "and the only ones that still seem to define me even after being reborn. How he told me that my constant talking only made relations between the two nations worse, that a woman ought to be seen and not heard, that everything I was doing would accomplish nothing but war…"

"What a bunch of garbage," Edna remarked. "How did you not murder him in his sleep? Or at least put in an assassination request with the Scattered Bones? I'm sure Rose would have been more than happy to accept the contract. Seriously, we told you at least a thousand times, you should have married Sergei-"

"And I've told you," Lucine said sadly, "that wouldn't have done any good, for anyone. Sergei was the captain of the military, marrying him wouldn't have served any political purpose, and…he deserved a woman who would love him. You're right that he was a good man, but I…" She shook her head. "I was still in love with Sorey. I couldn't have given Sergei what he deserved."

"I mean, I don't know Sergei, but if you already think he was a good guy…maybe you could have given him what he deserved if you'd tried?" Sahra offered.

"Maybe," the water seraph admitted, still hugging herself. "But I couldn't know for sure. Besides…Gareth was chosen for me by the Emperor. I thought I was doing my duty by agreeing to the union…even if that didn't work any more than marrying Sergei would have…"

"You sure remember a lot," Edna remarked dully. "Do you have _all_ your memories?"

"No…I remember most things, but there are some gaps I can't quite reconstruct," Lucine replied. "I know who I was, though, and I remember…I remember all my time with Sorey."

"Yet you didn't remember that Mikleo was a boy?" Edna asked pointedly.

"I did," Lucine explained, "but I wondered if my memories might be faulty when Zaveid told me they were lovers. I was…confused, and…"

"You mentioned that Sorey was the only man in your human life you ever loved," Sahra remembered out loud.

"Yes," Lucine sighed. "I was so blind to his bond with Mikleo…"

"Don't worry about it," Edna told her. "It's not like you could have seen him again anyway."

"I know," Lucine admitted, "but when you all told me about it, it just…made me feel all the more as though Gareth was right, that I couldn't do anything but make mistakes."

"Loving Sorey isn't nearly as bad of a mistake as marrying Gareth," Sahra commented. "Not even as bad as loving Zaveid…though I guess Gareth was worse than that, really, if he was as bad as you say. Hey," she said suddenly, brightening up, "is _that_ why you're so into Zaveid?"

"Huh?" Both Lucine and Edna looked at Sahra in surprise.

The fire seraph shrugged. "I mean, Zaveid _is_ a dirtbag, but he can be very flattering," she said. "I can see why you'd want to attach yourself to someone who actually pays attention to you and says nice things - you could definitely use the emotional junk food after all the abuse you went through in your human life. Just as long as you keep in mind that it's junk food, and he's not offering you anything real or substantial, I guess it's okay."

Edna's hand went for the plushie dangling from her umbrella as she quickly assessed how to work damage control. "Why should her previous life have anything to do with it?" she asked pointedly. "Alisha was never interested in Zaveid like that. Were you?" Edna asked, turning her attention to the water seraph.

"Well…no," Lucine admitted. "When I was human, I never really cared for Zaveid. I mean…I'd be lying if I said he was unpleasant to look at, but…no. He was a comrade, an ally…a friend, even. But never anything more than that, and I never wanted him to be, not when I was Alisha. But…"

"But you're not Alisha anymore," Edna finished. "Even if you have some of her memories, who you are has been changed on a fundamental level." She shrugged. "Humans who are reborn as seraphim aren't the same people after the transition, everyone knows that. I'm surprised you don't know it from experience yourself, Sahra."

"No…I do know that," Sahra conceded, toying with her braid. "I have the memories of my human life, but…they don't really feel like my memories, if I'm honest. I can't imagine myself doing some of the things that person did."

"So why should Lucine's feelings for Zaveid have anything to do with her human life?" Edna asked pointedly.

"They don't," Sahra sighed, "but it would be better if they did, don't you think? I mean, her reasons for being into Zaveid don't really make a difference in the end - you know what kind of guy he is, Edna, even better than we do."

"It's true that Zaveid is a gross pervert," Edna allowed, "but he doesn't call anyone else 'angel'."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sahra asked, blinking.

"I've heard Zaveid call women a lot of things over the centuries," Edna shrugged. "'Babe', 'baby', 'darling', 'sweetie', 'sweetheart', 'milady', 'my dear'…he even calls Velvet 'pretty mama' sometimes."

Sahra and Lucine burst out laughing, and Edna smiled as she waited for them to be done.

"But I've never heard him call anyone 'angel' before," she went on when her companions' hysterics had died down. "And he treats you differently, Lucine."

"But isn't that just because-?" Lucine began, then immediately clamped her mouth shut as Edna aimed a glare at her.

"Because…?" Sahra inquired.

"Don't worry about it," Edna told her. "It's not really important." And as Sahra's eyes flashed with light to mark the activation of her blessing, Edna realized that this was actually true. It wasn't about who Lucine looked like, it was more than that, so much more - her appearance was only a catalyst, a reason for him to really notice things about her as an effect of comparing her to the woman he'd lost. Both Lucine's battle prowess and her need to do good in the world hit all of Zaveid's weak spots, and Lucine herself could see right through Zaveid's facades, so he wouldn't be able to manipulate her, at least not like he wanted. _Not to mention being so timid all the time,_ Edna thought. _Who can resist an injured puppy that needs to be taken care of and protected?_

"In any case," Sahra said slowly, "just because he gave Lucine a unique nickname doesn't mean he's not a dirtbag."

"I'm not saying he's not a dirtbag," Edna stated; "I'm just saying he treats Lucine differently. Do you disagree?"

"Well…no…" Sahra admitted.

"Then that's all there is to it," Edna said.

"And it's not enough," Sahra said firmly. "I mean, did you guys hear the stuff _he_ said to Sadie's parents at the funeral yesterday?"

"Yes," Lucine said, her tone suddenly cold, "I did. That's why I joined him."

"I'm not saying Sadie's parents didn't abuse her, or even that they didn't deserve to be publicly humiliated," Sahra said, rolling her eyes. "I'm talking about the other stuff he said. And just the way he talked in general - your speech was good, Lucine, it was properly respectful for the situation; Zaveid just talked a bunch of crap in front of an audience without a care."

"Zaveid says what others are afraid to say," Lucine argued; "why is that such a wicked thing?"

"It's wicked when he's telling the world he slept with a married woman at a kid's birthday party," Sahra countered.

Lucine flinched, her eyes going wide.

"Did you not pick up on that?" Sahra laughed.

"I…" Lucine frowned, clearly thinking back over the details of Zaveid's rant. "Um…well, no, I didn't quite put that together," she admitted at last. "But, from the sound of it, it's not as though he hurt or abused her in any way - he said she was the one who threw herself at him. And given who her husband is, well…"

"You can't really blame her?" Edna finished snidely.

The water seraph flushed, too deeply to speak.

"Hey, where'd you guys go after the Halloways left?" Sahra asked Lucine, her tone suddenly gentling.

"Out the back," Lucine answered. "All the attention was on us, but the service was for Sadie; I was relieved when Zaveid left and took me with him, so everyone would stop staring at us."

"And what'd you do after you left?" Edna smirked.

"We talked," Lucine replied, her blush deepening again. "Just…talked." Sahra's eyes flashed, and Lucine added, "He suggested we do…other things, yes, but he didn't press it. In fact, it felt more like he was saying it just to make a point."

"A point?" Sahra asked.

"Let me guess," Edna said dully, even as her stomach turned, her mind replaying the conversation Zaveid had had with her baby brother just a few minutes ago; "he basically said a bunch of stuff to try to convince you that you shouldn't think more of him for his righteous anger at Sadie's parents, that it doesn't mean there's any good in him and he's a scoundrel worse than either of them at the end of the day."

"Well…" Lucine said slowly, frowning in thought, "I…he…You know, now that you put it that way, that would explain the odd mix of emotions I was sensing from him while we talked - none of it seemed to match his words at all. But if he really was just trying to put me off…it would fit…"

Sahra opened her mouth, but no words came out. Edna could only assume she was thinking back on that conversation she and Zaveid had had where he'd asked her to do that very same thing for him. _Starting to realize there's more to our resident pervert than meets the eye, are you?_ she thought, eyeing the fire seraph, but she kept the comment to herself.

After a moment, Lucine sighed sadly, turning her gaze to the cobblestones underfoot. "'Angel'…even now, Zaveid still calls me angel," she said softly. "But what kind of angel couldn't even save Sadie? It's my own fault there even was a funeral for him to lose his temper at…"

"Quit it," Edna told her firmly. "There was nothing you could have done - at a certain point, no amount of seraphic healing artes can repair a human's injuries. Our artes can accelerate the healing process, but Sadie was too badly hurt for anything to heal her. Death is something even we seraphim can't escape; it's not your fault."

"You did your best," Sahra agreed. "And it's…well, it's like Zaveid said, your healing artes are the reason she and Eizen got to say their goodbyes, at least. I'm sure she's grateful to you for that, wherever she is."

"And Eizen is, too," Edna added.

They stood in somber silence for a minute, all of them still mourning the death of the Squire that had only just become a true friend to them.

"Can we change the subject?" Edna finally asked drily. "We've had enough sadness for at least the next hundred years or so."

"Yeah," Sahra agreed, forcing a smile. "No more downer talk. Let's talk about what we're going to do after we take down Niko! I don't know about you, Lucine, but I'm kinda done with the whole exile thing."

"Yes," Lucine agreed, nodding. "I would rather find something else to do with my second life than go back to hiding in Lamorak Cave."

"Anyone who goes north from now on is going to be pretty much screwed without the Fire Angel," Edna pointed out to Sahra.

"I mean, maybe I can still go back and do that sometimes," Sahra said thoughtfully. "You're right, I don't want the frozen north to be without a relief effort. But hey, maybe I can convince some other fire seraphim to take up the position!" she said brightly. "Now that all seraphim can be seen by all humans, I'm sure the seraphim who have been around for centuries need to reevaluate their places in the world."

"Sounds like political reform," Edna remarked with a tiny smirk. "Maybe you and Lucine should think about reshaping Elysia into an established nation of seraphim and figuring out how relations and trade should happen between them and the two human nations."

And she and Lucine laughed - not because it was an absurd idea, but because it felt so familiar, as though the two of them had never been separated or changed races or souls at all.

Not quite getting the inside joke, Sahra still smiled with them. "Sounds like a plan," she said.

~o~

When night fell, the four seraphim took shelter within Eizen's chest while he slept again, lending him their silent support, and Edna was relieved to find that, though she could still feel the anguish of his heartbreak, there weren't even any tiny traces of the beginnings of malevolence in his being. As unsettling as his conversation with Zaveid had been, it had clearly helped Eizen come to terms with things, or at least with not giving up. Zaveid himself gave no indication of what had passed between him and his human nephew; when Lucine asked where he'd been, he dodged her question with a vague, mildly-suggestive response that Edna highly doubted pointed to anything remotely close to the truth.

The next day, Eizen wasted no time heading for the Sanctuary with his seraphim. Several priests waited outside, and bowed as the Shepherd approached.

"The Great Lord Maotelus awaits you," one declared.

"Thank you," Eizen told him as Edna and the others emerged. "I promise this is the last time I'll have to commandeer the Sanctuary."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Edna muttered to him.

"I think I'll stick out here," Zaveid spoke up.

"No, uncle," Eizen said, "you need to hear whatever Maotelus is about to say. I know you can't talk to him or about him, but this is important information."

"Assuming he has any," Edna pointed out dully.

Ignored a second time, Edna decided not to press either issue as the five of them walked through the doors of the Sanctuary into the ornate building that held only the Dragon of Light, the divine seraph's massive form filling a third of the room.

"Maotelus," Eizen said with a bow of his head, the doors shutting behind him as he approached. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all," Maotelus replied; "I just came back. I was worried I'd kept _you_ waiting."

"Glad to hear no one kept anyone waiting," Sahra remarked, folding her arms behind her head. "So, what's up?"

In response, an orb of light rose from the glowing behemoth, which dulled to a stone gray as Maotelus took his seraph form, the form of an angelic young boy, who rose from a crouch and opened his jade eyes.

"Whoa!" Sahra exclaimed at the sight, having never seen this before. "The Great Lord Maotelus is a kid?!"

"I was ten years old when I rose to lead the Five Lords," Maotelus told her. "That was more than fifteen hundred years ago."

"He's Velvet's nephew, remember?" Edna reminded her. "Or at least the reincarnation of him - her actual nephew was sacrificed to Innominat before he was even born."

"Yeah, you guys told me about that," Sahra said, "but…I didn't think he would still look so young."

"This is who I am," Maotelus said. "Does it bother you?"

"Of course it doesn't bother her, nor does it bother me," Lucine stated, stepping forward. "In fact, I think this form suits you just as well, Great Lord Maotelus." With this, she got down on one knee, just as she would have in her human life. "Lord Maotelus, when last we spoke, the situation was desperate, and I apologize that I never got a chance to properly express how honored I am to meet the divine guardian of our world."

"I'm no less a guardian than you were in your human life, Lucine," Maotelus told her with a smile. "I may grant the world the power of the Silver Flame, but you spent your whole life trying to fix things I had no say in. Your job was a lot more complicated than mine, but the effects still last to this day, and there's been a lot less malevolence for it. I'm sorry you've spent all these centuries thinking you made any sort of mistakes."

"I did make some mistakes," Lucine said, rising to her feet again. "But I shouldn't have focused on them so, or let one man's bigotry impact my ability to live my life. I…There is no higher praise than to suggest that my work could even compare to all that you've done since you rose to lead the Five Lords."

"I haven't done much besides exist," Maotelus pointed out. "Seriously, you worked so hard every day of your human life, while I was too far gone to even notice the effects; without the Earthen Historia, I would have had no idea why the humans of the world I returned to seemed so much less inclined to produce malevolence. It's partly thanks to you that I'm even here now."

"I am glad I was able to help," Lucine bowed.

Maotelus laughed. "You remind me of Eleanor, the human who was my vessel before I became a Great Lord and the first Shepherd to serve me after I took power," he said fondly. "She was always trying to do good in the world, too."

"Laphicet," Eizen said, stepping forward, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…please, tell us what you've found. What is the First Shadow?"

Maotelus's smile dropped. "We don't know," he answered solemnly. "Not even the other Great Lords have heard of something called the First Shadow, at least not as far as they can remember. We scoured the Earthen Historia, too, but we couldn't find a real answer - the records stored there go back to before the curse of malevolence was cast, but it doesn't seem to go back to the beginning of time for some reason, and almost nowhere in them is there even any mention of the First Shadow." He reached into his tunic and pulled out two iris gems, both so dark blue they were almost black. "All we could find were these. They won't answer your question, but…I think you should see them anyway. Both of them."

"Even the other Great Lords don't know what the First Shadow is?" Lucine breathed. "How is that possible?"

"The Great Lords have ruled for tens of thousands of years, ever since the curse was cast by the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm," Maotelus said, "but there was a time even before that that the Great Lords don't remember. Not even the gods were there to witness the beginning of time. Now please," he held up the indigo iris gems, "take a look at these, Eizen. They might still give you the information you need to truly defeat Niko."

_Might?_ Edna thought cynically. _Sounds promising…_

Frowning, Eizen reached out his hands and placed one on each of the iris gems. As his gloves came to rest against their smooth surfaces, the world around him began to shift and change. Edna felt herself and her allies being pulled into the vision through their vessel, and suddenly, _they were looking at a color-washed version of the clearing outside the old treehouse. Poles stood around the space, holding up colored lanterns that had long since burned out, and tables and chairs were scattered all over._

_"__Home?" Eizen asked as they took in the setting. "Right after Cellie's party, it looks like…"_

_"__This is when Niko became the Lord of Calamity," Edna said, then added to herself, _Why would this have anything to do with some force more ancient than the Five Lords?

_"__Niko?"_

_At first, Edna thought Eizen was just echoing her, but then she realized the vision had come to focus on Niko as she'd been the night of Cellie's party, pigtails and all, hunched over on her knees not far from the treehouse._

_"__Auntie Edna," Niko murmured, and Edna flinched before Niko went on, "you're wrong. You're _wrong_! Happiness is a lie, I know it is!"_

_Nausea boiled in Edna's gut. _Was it really my fault…?

_"__I'd gladly trade all this happiness for my sister's life!" Niko went on with a sob. "I'd trade all the happiness in the world for my sister!"_

_"__Niko," Eizen breathed, even though this was only a recording and she couldn't hear him. "You really did it all for Celica…"_

_Niko threw her head back and screamed to the sky, "What do I have to do?! Why does the darkness reject me?! What am I missing?!"_

_Suddenly, her expression changed, and she blinked in what looked like shock. "H-Hello?" she asked in a trembling voice, her eyes fixed on the stars twinkling overhead in their all-seeing way…almost as though something among them was actively returning the girl's gaze. "Is someone…there?"_

_No reply came, but Niko stood up, her face slack with awe._

_"__Yes!" she gasped. "Yes, I can hear you! You can hear me? Who are you?"_

_Still, there was nothing; Edna blinked, completely baffled, and she got the sense her companions felt the same way._

_"__Can you save my sister?" Niko asked, still looking heavenward. After a pause, she started nodding vigorously. "Yes, yes of course!" she exclaimed. "I'll do whatever you ask of me, if you just give me the power I need to keep my sister alive!" Another pause, and then she lit up with delight. "Of course!" she squeaked. "I'd do that anyway! Why should only my sister be saved, if I can save everyone? Give me the power, I'll spread it everywhere! I'll make the world pure, so everyone can be better than happy!"_

_"__Who is she talking to?" Sahra asked._

_"__Shh," Eizen hushed as Niko lifted her hand to the sky._

_Edna watched, bracing herself for the blast of energy she had felt that night, but instead, nothing seemed to happen at all. When Eizen gasped in alarm, it took Edna a minute to even see what had drawn his attention. It was hard to tell in the color-washed vision, but Edna was eventually able to make out the way the patches of night sky between the stars seemed to flow and shift, descending from above to meet Niko's outstretched fingertips._

_Blinking, Edna tried to dispel the impossible sight, but when the oozing blackness finally reached Niko, the girl gasped with what sounded like euphoria, and the darkness suddenly swarmed and writhed as it began to pour into her, tendrils enveloping her and shooting straight into her torso, lifting her into the air as her body began to morph and change, all while she grinned with apparent delight._

But this isn't how it happened!_ Edna thought as she watched. _I _felt_ the blast of power when she became the Lord of Calamity, it wasn't all slow and subtle like this!

_Watching the way Niko's human body bloated and morphed into the twisted hellion they'd seen throughout their journey became more and more difficult, however, as blackness kept pouring into and around her; before long, she was essentially encased in a malevolent egg._

_"__I don't…understand…" Eizen breathed._

_"__That makes at least two of us," Zaveid remarked. "Anyone else have any idea what's going on?"_

_"__Nope," Edna replied, and Sahra and Lucine spoke up with similar sentiments._

_As the malevolence became more and more concentrated, bolts of what looked like lightning shot out of the sphere holding Niko, sparking fires in the grass, on the furniture that had facilitated Celica's birthday party, and along the roots of the tree that held up the treehouse. _That explains the fire, at least,_ Edna thought, _but not the lightning strike I heard…

_Power built even further as the little flames began to catch on the nearby wood, and a moment ahead of time, Edna finally understood. Instinctively, she tried to move her umbrella to shield her from the incoming blast that couldn't actually touch her, and the orb of darkness exploded with tremendous force - not a lightning bolt, but still a blast of energy that Edna had mistaken for a sudden alteration. The Lord of Calamity they knew burst free, massive claws and all, shedding energy that seemed to feed the flames and staring down at her new form._

_The very first thing Niko did was gently touch her claws to the side of her face, then grin when they clicked against her jagged, thorny horns - horns she'd been wanting for years. Her smile twisted as she gazed at her enormous talons again, and black flames began to ignite along their lengths, spreading from her scaly palms. She turned her right hand towards the little fire that was just starting to build at the base of the house tree and blasted it, and the orange flames grew, but Edna also thought she saw something rise out of the massive tree, as though a spirit or blessing had been driven away by the malevolence._

_"__Yes," Niko breathed, spreading her claws. "With this power, I'll smother all light. In the name of the First Shadow, this world shall be made pure!"_

_She laughed with delight. At first, it was a chuckle, that then grew to a full but still-sane laugh. As the flames grew even larger, smoke billowing into the air, her laughter crossed a threshold, until it mutated into the deranged hysterics she'd been spouting ever since she'd turned._

_With that, the vision faded, leaving the five heroes in a blurred sort of in-between, presumably as they moved to the other iris gem Eizen had touched._

_"__Who or what was she talking to?" Sahra asked as they transitioned._

_"__The First Shadow," Eizen replied grimly. "We have to assume…"_

_"__But what _is_ the First Shadow?" Lucine questioned._

_"__Nothing," Edna replied. "She wasn't talking to anything that actually exists - the Earthen Historia sees everything in this world, even thoughts. The fact that it didn't record anything at all means there was nothing there."_

_"__Did you just see the same scene I just saw, babe?" Zaveid demanded. "'Cuz I'm pretty sure I just watched her offer herself to malevolence and malevolence _pour out of the sky_ in response."_

_"__The Earthen Historia records everything in this world," Sahra mused, and Edna could almost see her toying with her braid, "but what about…things that _aren't_ in this world?"_

_"__Like what?" Edna asked drily._

_Before the conversation could continue, the scene finished shifting. Now, the treehouse and its tree were both blackened and in ruins, and some piles of ash were scattered around the clearing, but the fire was gone. Niko had something pinned to the ground with her massive right claws; beyond her, the hellionized form of Rokurou stood by and watched. Rokurou's two right arms gripped Lailah by her upper arms, while his left arms pinned Mikleo likewise; both seraphim were kicking and struggling, but the monster holding them didn't even seem to notice their efforts to escape. Every now and then, a flash of movement along the ground marked where Celica was zipping around with her malevolence-charged health, health she had been granted in exchange for her voice._

_"__Sorey!" Lucine gasped as the image focused on the figure trapped under Niko's gigantic paw, the talons caging him while the palm pressed him against the ground._

_Edna blinked; it was almost hard to see through all the malevolence Niko generated, but sure enough, the person at Niko's mercy was the previous Shepherd, Sorey. He struggled under Niko's grip, but he was trapped, clearly helpless._

_"__You think you came here to save us," Niko sneered softly at the legendary hero; "but, you see, _I_ am here to save _you_, and everyone else in this miserable, broken world. But because you are the Shepherd, you have to be willing. Join us, Shepherd Sorey; you are left with no other recourse."_

_"__Never!" Sorey snarled, still writhing to no avail._

_"__Come now," Niko crooned, "my power has already overwhelmed you, you know you cannot defeat me. But I don't want to kill you…I don't want anyone to die, ever again. Malevolence will grant you eternity in this world, you and your beloved Mikleo. You're fighting for the right to die, and leave your seraph lover all alone; surely, that isn't worth whatever silly beliefs you value so highly. Won't you join us?"_

_"__If Mikleo and I joined you, he'd be a dragon," Sorey spat._

_"__Indeed," Niko nodded; "he would be able to ferry you across the land and the seas at will, no more bothering with ships or caravans. You could travel the whole world, find every ancient ruin still to be discovered, and take your time exploring them all, with no worry for one day running out of strength or life."_

_"__But I wouldn't enjoy it!" Sorey snapped. "Mikleo wouldn't even be able to appreciate whatever we found, and neither would I! Hellions can't feel happiness!"_

_"__I feel quite happy," Niko snickered, "as does my father. Don't you?" she added, turning her head to the lackey holding Sorey's seraphim hostage._

_"__I feel _alive_!" Rokurou grinned. "Power like this is worth more than any amount of happiness!"_

_"__Well said," Niko praised, turning back to Sorey. "Happiness is a lie, a silly construct designed to help mortals along to their inevitable deaths." She tilted her head. "Come to think of it, if you joined me, you wouldn't even have to do any exploring, or any guessing - I have more knowledge at my disposal than even the Earthen Historia. Everything that has happened since the dawn of time is mine to know, and it would be yours too, if you joined us."_

"Us"_, Edna thought. _She keeps saying "us". Sorey probably thinks she means herself and Rokurou and Cellie - I did too, all this time. But what if…?

_"__The joy of exploring the past is in the discovery," Sorey said. "I wouldn't want to just know everything that's ever happened, I want to _learn_ it, experience it all for myself."_

_Niko threw her head back and laughed her hellish laugh. "So you want to take the time to see everything firsthand, _and_ you want the time you are allotted to do so to be limited," she jeered. "Do you not see the flaw in your reasoning? Join us, and we can give you everything you desire, as well as freedom from all that troubles you - you and your precious Mikleo. Come now, Shepherd, there's no need for anyone to die here today."_

_"__I will never succumb to darkness," Sorey declared, struggling again for good measure. "But you don't have to kill anyone, Niko. You haven't done any harm yet, you can just stop. Let us help you."_

_"__Let _you_ help_ me_?!" Niko roared mirthfully. "Have you not been listening? _You_ are the one who needs _my_ help, if only you will accept it. Do you even know what you're fighting for? This world is broken, and you are the one who keeps it that way. You think killing General Heldalf and purifying Maotelus saved the world? What's changed since then? Malevolence still abounds, and always shall! No…malevolence is the rightful reigning power in this world, and in fighting it, you ensure that this world stays as miserable as it has always been. Tell me…" Her paw pressed down harder, restricting the space for Sorey's lungs to expand, and her other hand came up to poke one talon against his throat. "…what must I do to make you understand?"_

_"__I understand…what you're saying," Sorey choked. "But you're wrong, Niko! You're wrong about…about the world. This world isn't perfect, but it's still worth defending. And I will defend it, with my last breath!"_

_"__Please don't make me kill you," Niko said again, and Edna suddenly realized that, for all her talk, Niko really and truly did not want to have to kill Sorey, or anyone else. Lord of Calamity or not, she was still a thirteen-year-old girl; the idea of killing was a lot bigger when she actually faced it, and she was…scared._

But she _did_ kill Sorey,_ Edna thought. _We already know how this story ends…

_"__I'm not making you do anything, Niko," Sorey said calmly. "No one is making you do anything. What you do next is up to you."_

_Bold words, but knowing what was coming, Edna winced. Still, to her surprise, Niko continued to hesitate, even as she poked at Sorey's throat again._

_"__Please join me," Niko said softly. "Please…no one should ever have to die again…I took on this power to put an end to people dying…"_

_"__I won't stop fighting malevolence, Niko," Sorey told her. "I'll never give in to darkness. I would rather die than live as a hellion."_

_"__But…" Niko's face turned heavenwards, to the now-lit daytime sky, the sun blotting out the stars, though of course the stars were still there. Her black-scaled face, timid and uncertain at first, slowly shifted to a determined mask, and she looked back down after a moment, baring her sharp teeth. "Is that truly your answer?" she hissed. "Death, over everything we can offer you?"_

_"__Yes," Sorey stated; he'd clearly noticed the change in Niko's demeanor, but he was as certain as ever. _Sorey to the end,_ Edna thought. "I would rather die than join any Lord of Calamity. That is my answer." He turned his head to where his seraphim struggled in Rokurou's grip. "Mikleo-" he began, his face full of love._

_But before he could say whatever last words he wanted to say to his boyfriend, Niko's talon speared him through the neck, cutting off his words. "So be it," she spat._

_"_NO_!" Mikleo screamed. "_SOREYYYYYYYYYY_!"_

_Lailah also gave a wordless cry of pain as Niko curled her one claw down through the hole she'd bored in Sorey's body, spearing through his torso and eviscerating him, but it was drowned out by the howl of anguish that came from Mikleo - the same howl that Eizen had let loose as he'd held Sadie's lifeless body. __Sorey shuddered, twitched, and finally went limp._

_"_SOREYYYYYYY_!" Mikleo wailed. "_NOOOOOOOOO_!"_

_Malevolence began to gather around the two seraphim, now that their pure vessel had been destroyed, and both writhed as the toxin ate away at them. Removing her talons from the now-dead Shepherd and the ground around his corpse, Niko turned and stalked over to her quarry, her clawed feet tearing furrows in the ground as she walked._

_"__Poor Mikleo," she said pityingly. "You waited so long for the love of your life to return, only to lose him again. But don't you see? Even if I hadn't killed him, he would have died in a few decades anyway, and left you all alone for good. I didn't want to make it happen sooner, but it was an inevitable eventuality."_

_"__You monster!" Mikleo sobbed. "You _monster_!"_

_"__Just relax," Niko soothed him. "I would love to give you the choice to reunite with him, but you see, the thing is, I _need_ some dragons, if I am to commune with the First Shadow properly. So just relax, and let yourself go; the pain will be gone soon, and you won't even remember you ever knew Sorey."_

_Those claws, claws Edna knew to be a deep crimson, lifted, black flames dancing along their lengths, and she placed them around the crying water seraph._

_"__Let him go, father," she ordered the hellion holding Mikleo. "He's mine now."_

_Obediently, Rokurou relaxed his left arms, and Mikleo sagged into the cage of Niko's talons. Dark fire caught on his clothes, and his sobs and screams died out as malevolence enveloped him, gaining a foothold in his broken heart and exploiting it to consume him completely. The change took hold, and Niko released the figure and stepped back, watching as the darkness and the seraph's body merged and erupted into a massive dragon. The dragon roared and spread its wings, but Niko thrust her right hand forward, vines of darkness shooting out of her claws and wrapping around the behemoth, tying him to the ground._

_"__Not just yet," she told the savage beast as it strained against its bonds. "I know you want to go out there and sow all sorts of destruction, but you need to wait a minute while I deal with your friend." She turned to Lailah, the fire seraph also writhing and crying. "You won't turn easily," the Lord of Calamity remarked. "'Lailah the Pure'…it will take a great deal of malevolence to make you a dragon - maybe even enough that you'll come out a white-horned dragon, a being with a heart that can break a seraph's blessing! Lucky you!"_

_Zaveid gasped, and Edna almost wished she could reach out and hold his hand - this revelation about what made a white-horned dragon probably cut deep. But they were bodiless as they watched the scene unfold, and Zaveid could always just cling to his whole not-caring schtick. _He'll be fine,_ Edna told herself, refocusing on the vision._

_Raising her left claws now, Niko summoned the black fire she'd been spewing and unleashed it on the former Prime Lord; Rokurou dropped her a moment before the torrent of power hit him, and Edna wondered if it was a reflex, or if the malevolence would actually hurt him despite him already being a hellion, though it didn't really matter. Within the blast, Lailah's screams grew louder and more high-pitched, as she clearly fought the transformation with everything she was. Niko snarled, the black flames pouring out even more strongly, and Lailah's cries turned into shrieks, which slowly morphed into something inhuman, something unnatural. When only the roars of a monster came from the cascade of evil fire, Niko finally severed the flow, leaving a writhing mass that took form, white horns piercing through the top as the head took shape, and then at last, a white-horned dragon stood where Lailah had been._

_Immediately, Niko released more black tendrils from her left claws, these binding the new dragon quickly, before it could fly away. "Now then," the Lord of Calamity said to her captives. "Let us begin." Her red eyes closed, and she lifted her head. "O ye born of the death of light," she intoned, "here let our pacts be forged, that the purest of darkness may serve as thine anchors to this world in which you dwell; in the name of the First Shadow, you shall serve me and mine to the end of days. By the true names of the souls still trapped within your binds, I command you, now and forevermore: Lusrov Rulay and Fethmus Mioma!"_

_As she spoke, the black ropes almost seemed to glow with malevolence, and at the sounds of their former true names, the dragons stopped struggling. Smiling nastily, Niko retracted her bindings, and the dragons rose to their feet calmly, both standing still and looking at her attentively, ready to obey her commands._

_"__Mikleo," Niko purred, and the dragon that had been the water seraph lowered its head in an obedient manner. She gestured to her father. "You are to carry my father with me when I travel and follow his directions. My orders supersede his, of course, but do as he says otherwise."_

_Mikleo threw his head back and roared, then turned to Rokurou._

_"Are y__ou serious?!" Rokurou asked. "I get to ride a dragon?"_

_"__But of course," Niko replied. "You are an ancient and powerful warrior, and if not for you and all you've done, I would not be here now to save this world at last; a dragon is the least you can receive in return. But remember that you are to do as I say first and foremost."_

_"__Whatever," Rokurou dismissed, stepping up to his new draconian servant and clambering onto the monster's back. He whooped, grinning. "I'm riding a dragon!" he laughed. "Ah, this is worth it all!"_

_"__Indeed," Niko smirked. "Oh Celica, my dear sister!"_

_The little hellion that had been darting around in the background during this entire affair scuttled over to Niko._

_"__Climb aboard the white-horned dragon," she told the languageless creature, walking over to the dragon that had been Lailah herself. "We're going for a ride."_

_Celica obeyed, though she didn't settle on the dragon's back, instead scuttling along the monster's sides as Niko vaulted her way aboard her mount._

_"__Arise, my allies!" Niko called. "Let us away, to the domain of the First Shadow!"_

_Lailah and Mikleo leapt into the air and spread their wings, diving down the short distance they were allowed and scraping the earth before rising at a slight angle, flapping their wings and swerving around and around as they lifted high into the air._

_Then everything blurred, the vision ending._

Edna blinked herself back to awareness as the Ladylake Sanctuary took form around them again. Eizen lifted his hands from the two indigo iris gems, and they evaporated as Maotelus presumably sent them back into the earthpulse.

No one spoke.

"You were right, Eizen," Maotelus finally said solemnly. "Whatever the First Shadow is, it's important. You're facing something no Shepherd has ever fought against before."

"But what _is it_?!" Lucine exclaimed.

"A power not of this world."

Everyone turned at Eizen's sudden words, but his golden gaze was on Edna.

"You said there's no power in this world stronger than the Five Lords," he said, "and I think you were right, big sis. If the Earthen Historia records everything in this world, then whatever Niko was communing with, it wasn't in this world at all."

"I agree, but that still begs the question: What else is there, exactly?" Sahra asked, fiddling with her braid thoughtfully. "I mean, there's the Heavenly Realm…"

"Yeah, this doesn't look like the Heavenly Realm to me," Zaveid shrugged. "Those seraphim living up there might be a buncha stuck-up bastards, but I'm pretty sure there's no malevolence in the Heavenly Realm." He frowned, rubbing his chin. "Besides that, though…I mean, there's hell, I guess-"

"No." This came from Maotelus, and everyone turned to the tiny Great Lord. "Heaven and the Heavenly Realm aren't the same thing," he told them, and he frowned. "It's…complicated, but from what the Great Lords tell me, there's a…a veil, of sorts, between life and death, and no known power can transcend that veil, not even the Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly Realm isn't an afterlife."

"Makes sense," Edna commented; "if the Heavenly Realm was an afterlife, then in order to go home, seraphim would just have to die."

"_Is_ there an afterlife?" Eizen asked curiously.

"There is," Maotelus replied, "but we only know there's anything beyond that veil at all because of seraphim who reach the end of their natural time in this world, a year after they feel the Call - for a few moments, those seraphim are suspended in the middle of that veil, and can see beyond it while still telling those on this side what they see, and the Earthen Historia records those glimpses. Heaven and hell both exist, but neither of them have anything to do with whatever power Niko wields - from what the other Great Lords can tell from the iris gems I shared with you, the power Niko was using didn't transcend the veil, it came…from somewhere else. Somewhere that almost seemed to be beyond the bounds of reality itself."

"Beyond the bounds of _reality_?" Edna repeated. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," Maotelus answered, shaking his head. "There's…a lot we don't know. I'm sorry," he added, his jade irises pained. "I really looked as hard as I could, we all did!"

"We know," Eizen assured his cousin across time. "Thank you for sharing what you found, Maotelus. We'll…make the best use of this information that we can. Please, get back into the earthpulse - we need you watching over the world now more than ever, considering what Niko's up to."

"Right," Maotelus nodded, and he turned into light that sank back into his form as Great Lord, which regained its radiance and stood. "Battle well," he told them; "we are counting on you - not just your victory, but on what you can learn from pursuing this Lord of Calamity. Niko isn't just _a_ Lord of Calamity, she is truly _the_ Lord of Calamity…and we need you, Eizen, to be the Shepherd."

"I will be," Eizen promised. "We'll stop her, no matter what it takes."

The Dragon of Light bowed his head. "Farewell," he told them, and he dissolved back into the earth, leaving the five heroes alone to discuss what they'd seen.

But no one spoke. No one knew what to say. They were fighting a true unknown, what was there to talk about? Any theories any of them might propose would be useless.

Finally, Edna walked over to Zaveid and said what she knew she needed to say to him. "Zaveid, I'm sorry," she told the wind seraph.

"Huh?" Zaveid blinked. "For what?"

"For saying Niko was your fault," Edna replied, remorse lancing through her heart.

"Aw, don't worry about it, babe," Zaveid shrugged; "I knew it couldn't be my fault."

"No, you don't understand," Edna shook her head; she _needed_ to be honest about this. "The reason I blamed you was because I…I didn't want to admit that it might have been _my_ fault. I tried to change Niko's mind during the party, and I was afraid that I might have shaken her resolve enough for her to turn; blaming you was easier than thinking it might have been my doing. It was selfish of me…" Her eyes stung, and she blinked, trying to fight back the urge to cry, one hand going to squeeze the plushie dangling from her umbrella. "I guess I have more in common with my older brother than I knew. I'm sorry, Zaveid."

"Hey, it's not like I'm in any position to judge someone for being selfish," Zaveid responded; his posture was casual, but his orange eyes were serious as he met her blurring gaze. "Don't worry about it, Edna, seriously. I forgive ya." His expression darkened as he added, "The important thing here is that it was neither of our faults; it was something beyond any of us, something we can't even guess at."

"Whether we can guess at it or not," Eizen said resolutely, stepping forward, "we know we have to fight Niko and put a stop to her rampage. Maybe once we knock some sense into her, she'll tell us what she knows."

"That'd be nice," Edna agreed tonelessly, finally managing to get her emotions under control. "We won't know unless we confront her, though."

"Then let's go," Eizen said. "We know everything we can know; it's time."

Edna nodded, as did the other seraphim, and all four of them came to rest within Eizen's chest as he exited the Sanctuary, telling the priests outside that their business was done. His steps headed for the Ladylake gate…then stopped and turned around.

_What are you doing?_ Edna asked.

"I want to say goodbye," Eizen replied. "Please, guys, just give me a minute. Just in case."

No one responded.

Outside the priests' bunker, Eizen found his parents and Cellie all together. Rokurou was propped up on crutches, the one under his left arm strapped to the handless stump, and Edna was surprised to see that he was actually standing on legs.

"Dad!" Eizen exclaimed, running over to his family. "How are you standing?!"

"Fake legs," Rokurou grinned. "We just got 'em, and I'm breaking 'em in!"

"But…but how…?" Eizen breathed.

"I…" Velvet blushed. "I asked around about getting him some help the day after he woke up. It cost a lot of gald, but then…"

"Then I made the innkeeper sample some of the leftovers from the memorial feast," Rokurou grinned, "and she hired your mother on the spot. Mom spent all day yesterday cooking for the refugees, and we've earned a ton of gald already - soon, we'll be able to move out of this shack and into a home of our own!"

"Really?" Eizen gasped, looking between his parents. "I…" He swallowed. "I'm sorry, I…I've been kind of in my own world the last couple of days."

"Don't be sorry, Eizen," Velvet told her son with a smile. "You've been through a lot. But yes, we're going to find a new home here in Ladylake now."

"Good food brings people together," Rokurou added with a loving smile at his wife. "No one can call you a monster when you prepare food like that for them."

"So it seems," Velvet admitted.

Edna knew how hard it had been for Velvet to ever imagine living in human society again, and she could feel the way Eizen's heart swelled at the idea that she was finally going to get her happy ending. "I'm so glad you've found your place, mom," he said.

"Yes…and you've found yours, haven't you?" Velvet added, her expression softening with sadness.

"I have," Eizen confirmed. "And I have to go. I'm going to do my best to bring Niko home, but…I wanted to say goodbye first, just in case I don't come back."

"You're my son," Rokurou said sternly; "you'll win this fight, I know you will."

"I can't leave anything to chance," Eizen insisted, and he stepped forward, knelt down, and hugged his youngest sister, who hugged him back even as she squirmed in his grip. "Cellie, look after mom and dad, okay?" he murmured to her.

"I will!" Celica promised. "Now that I'm finally learning to use the Rangetsu style, nothing will get past me!"

"I'm sure," Eizen laughed. He stood up and embraced his father, who lifted his one good hand to return the hug. "Dad, remember to stop by Pendrago and talk to Morgrim on the way to Meirchio," Eizen told him.

"Yeah, yeah," Rokurou said with a lazy smile. "I will."

Releasing his father, Eizen turned to his mother; their eyes met, eyes that were almost exactly the same, mother and son, and then he put his arms around her and held her tight. "Mom," he said softly, "be happy."

"I am," Velvet responded, hugging him back.

After a long minute, Eizen let her go, and he stepped back to address his whole family. "I love you all, so much," he told them. "Please, no matter what happens…live your lives as best you can. That's why I became the Shepherd in the first place."

"We're proud of you, Eizen," Velvet assured him. "And we believe in you. I know you'll succeed, one way or another."

Eizen nodded. "I'll see you all again," he vowed. "But for now, goodbye."

"Bye, big brother!" Cellie called as Eizen turned.

"We love you!" his parents added in unison.

"I love you too!" Eizen shouted over his shoulder, and then he broke into a run, sprinting for the exit, his family's support a tailwind at his back.

~o~

The moment Eizen crossed the threshold of Maotelus's barrier, malevolence slammed through his body, but the blessings of the Five Lords protected the seraphim sheltering within him.

"Niko!" Eizen shouted, and Edna emerged to stand beside him, the other seraphim following suit. "Where are you?!"

In response, the roar of a dragon heralded the approach of the white-horned beast Niko had created from the body of the previous Prime Lord. Edna braced herself as the Lord of Calamity's mount descended to land heavily before them and the girl herself leapt off, her small wings flapping to bring her to a gentle glide before she landed in front of the Shepherd.

"Eizen," she said. "Have you come to your senses?"

"I have," Eizen replied coldly.

"Well then…" Niko extended the claws of her left hand, black flames dancing along their lengths. "Join me."

"I will never join you, Niko," Eizen stated firmly. "I'm not going to give up. I've seen what giving up would turn me into, and I don't want to be that person."

_That's a bit of a stretch,_ Edna thought, _but hey, it sounds bold and all._

"Why won't you _understand_?!" Niko hissed. "You've felt the agony of the light, why do you still defend it?!"

"Because that agony is matched by joy," Eizen answered. "This world needs both, Niko, or it would be empty, all of life would be meaningless." He took a stance, and instead of drawing his katana, Edna was surprised to see him reach over his shoulder and draw Stormhowl, the ancient blade singing with joy as it was unleashed. "I will fight against malevolence to my dying breath…malevolence, _and_ the First Shadow."

Niko jerked in surprise.

"What is the First Shadow, Niko?" Eizen asked her. "Tell me what you've done."

"Ah." The Lord of Calamity grinned as she realized Eizen knew nothing, and Edna sighed internally. _Way to show your hand, baby brother._ "If you join me, it will all be clear."

"Never!" Eizen snarled.

They stared off for a long minute. Then, Niko sighed.

"I see," she pouted. "I really didn't want to have to kill you, dear brother, but if you've come this far and still won't listen, I suppose I have no choice."

Lucine and Sahra drew their weapons, and Edna braced herself. Instead of lunging at them, though, Niko lifted the claws of her right hand to the sky.

"Fethmus Mioma!" she shouted.

"What the-?" Eizen gasped as the white-horned dragon dissolved, its being pouring into Niko as energy crackled, the two merging and taking shape. "Is she armatizing with a dragon?!"

"It's not that weird," Edna informed Eizen; "General Heldalf armatized with Maotelus when Maotelus was corrupted, and we saw Niko make a Sub Lord pact with Lailah and Mikleo after she turned them."

"Still can't get over that," Zaveid muttered. "Some twisted, perverted version of a Sub Lord pact, between the Lord of Calamity and dragons…"

"And you'd know all about being perverted, huh, Zaveid?" Sahra smirked.

"Babe, is this really the time for wisecracks?" Zaveid asked pointedly.

"Guess not," Sahra conceded.

A roar put an end to the trivial exchange, as the armatized Niko burst forth into full form; the horns, once white, were now a flaming scarlet, the claws elongated into massive sabers, and the beast was twice the size it had been.

"Now, brother dear," Niko snarled through the dragon's snout, "let us put an end to your foolishness once and for all!"

Edna stood back and prepared a defensive arte as her allies all charged into battle. _Funny,_ she thought as the mana swelled beneath her skin; _this was where Eizen's first battle as a Shepherd took place, and now it's where his last will be, too._

An umbrella wasn't the best weapon with which to take on a dragon, so Edna kept to the sidelines and cast seraphic artes, trying to stay out of the way of the slashing claws and macelike tail. Armatized Niko seemed to move more gracefully than Mikleo had, despite being more or less the same shape, her every slightest movement potentially deadly; but on the other hand, Eizen was using Stormhowl, and even from a distance, Edna could feel the way the mana in the earth and air stirred and flowed at the blade's command as he danced with the nodachi effortlessly, faster and more fluidly than Edna had ever seen anyone fight. When Niko tried to breathe a blast of malevolent fire, Eizen leapt forward and slashed through it with his sword, and the metal cleaved through the darkness, leaving the black flames dissipating harmlessly to either side. _A sword that can destroy malevolence,_ Edna thought. _I guess it really is just like Siegfried…_

Even so, and even with everyone giving it their all, the Lord of Calamity was armatized with a white-horned dragon, and would not be felled easily. Each individual blow she landed on any of the five heroes sent the victim flying, dazed and half-dead; soon, Lucine was more occupied with casting healing artes than fighting. Edna tried to use her own limited powers to ease Lucine's burden, but when Eizen armatized with their water seraph, though they landed some solid hits, Sahra and Zaveid were quickly felled. Eizen severed the armatus and armatized with Edna instead, and they swung at the monster together while Lucine tried to revive their fallen comrades.

Just as Sahra and Zaveid managed to get back on their feet, Niko roared, "Kneel before me!"

A dark domain froze time, leaving Niko in motion. _A dragon casting a Mystic Arte?!_ Edna thought, alarmed, and she grew even more alarmed when she realized that Lucine was the target.

"May this purest of darkness smother the light of your being," Niko intoned, her claws forming a cage around the water seraph. Black fire spewed from both her palms and her jaws. "_Final Shadow_!"

Lucine screamed and fell as the arte ended, the malevolent flames still burning along the length of her body, just as it had been with Sadie in Aifread's Hunting Ground.

"Lucine!" Zaveid yelped, and Niko threw back her massive head and laughed.

Eizen quickly severed his bond with Edna, then reached into his pouch and pulled out a life bottle, which he cracked open and threw at Lucine. But as the medicine reached her, the dark fire burned it away, and it evaporated before it even touched her seraphic skin.

"This is only a taste of the power I wield," Niko hissed, lashing her tail at the fire seraph lunging for her. "Surrender now, and it will be yours, too!"

"_Never_!" Eizen shouted, swinging Stormhowl at his sister.

Edna jogged over to where Lucine lay and opened her umbrella; Zaveid was already there, and as the wind seraph got on his knees and started combating the malevolent flames, Edna shielded both of them, casting earthen artes from her defensive position as she tried to keep Niko from interrupting. Oddly, Niko didn't really appear interested in trying to stop Zaveid from saving Lucine; Eizen and Sahra kept her busy, and she seemed content to fight them while their ally was revived.

"Come on," Zaveid growled, white fire pouring from his palms. "Come on, angel, we need you!"

"'Angel'?" Though she couldn't possibly have heard him, Niko laughed again, still swiping at Eizen and Sahra. "You've never called anyone that before, have you, uncle? Not even your dear Theodora got that name…What was it you called her, again? Your 'little devil'?"

Zaveid jerked his face up in shock, his eyes wide, and the purifying flames pouring from his hands stuttered. "How do you know-?!" he gasped.

"Focus," Edna growled at him. "She's trying to distract you."

The Prime Lord visibly gritted his teeth as he turned back to purifying the darkness eating away at Lucine; though Edna kept up her defensive artes, she could tell he was shaken. _Niko said all the world's knowledge is at her command,_ she remembered. _Could that really be true…?_ A wing grazed her, and she leapt back. _Doesn't matter,_ she decided; _knowing and understanding aren't the same thing. Even if Niko knows everything, she's only thirteen, she doesn't understand much. We can still stop her._

When at last Lucine had gone still, unconscious but not burning with malevolence, Eizen tossed another life bottle at her, and this one roused her.

"Hold still, angel," Zaveid murmured, mana glowing under his skin as he prepared one of his own assistance artes. Rolling her eyes, Edna kept up her defenses until he'd lent Lucine some of his power, and the water seraph stood, violet eyes blazing.

"Let's go!" Zaveid shouted, and all three of them returned to the fray.

It seemed as though Niko hadn't weakened hardly at all. The five heroes fought, casting artes, landing blows, exchanging medicines, and it hardly even seemed to matter; the armatized dragon kept coming.

_Can this girl just go down already?_ Edna thought, frustrated, as she charged yet another arte; it seemed as though the battle had been raging for hours, with no apparent effects on the Lord of Calamity.

"Kneel before me!"

Another domain swept across the battlefield, and Edna found herself at the center of a cage of black-flamed claws.

"May this purest of darkness smother the light of your being," Niko snarled as solid malevolence ripped through Edna's body. "_Final Shadow_!"

When the domain broke, Edna could only fall; every inch of her burned in agony as malevolence tore at her, seeking to consume her very essence. Distantly, she heard screaming, and only barely recognized the sound as her own. Then Zaveid was there, pouring the flames of purification on the darkness that smothered her, and she could feel the two forces combatting, fighting for the right to define her essence as the pain eased.

"Open your heart!"

Yet another domain spread, and as time froze, Edna was able to see what was happening through the black fire. Lucine raised her spear in one hand, running her other hand along its length; some of the pain Edna was feeling seemed to pour out of her and fly into the metal.

"See the world through the eyes of another, and feel the pain that you have inflicted!" the water seraph intoned, eyes closed, as her spear began to gather strength and glow, brighter and brighter. More pain poured out of Edna and into the spear, and hers wasn't the only source.

Violet eyes opened and blazed with wrath, and Lucine hefted her weapon, then threw it at the armatized Lord of Calamity.

"_Empath's Javelin_!" she shouted as the arte skewered the dragon's chest, every inch it pierced through the beast another blow on the malevolent monster; when it came out the other side, the metal flew back to Lucine's outstretched hand, and she caught it and pounded the butt of the hilt against the ground, causing some remnant of energy that had lingered in the puncture wound to explode from within Niko's body.

Niko screamed as the arte finished, falling over onto her side. Edna realized that the white fire Zaveid had been casting on her had finished its job, leaving her weak on the ground but not in danger. When a life bottle splashed on her face, the medicine soaked into her seraphic skin and gave her strength, and she rose to her feet, unsteady but far from dead.

Everyone waited, a moment too long; the massive tail of the armatized monster lashed Zaveid from behind, knocking him down as their foe rose to her clawed feet once more.

Niko wasn't done.

_Power like that isn't enough?_ Edna thought dazedly.

But there was no choice but to keep fighting. It was hard to tell, but Niko _did_ seem noticeably injured at this point, Edna realized, and she took strength from the thought, the idea that Niko wasn't invincible. Everyone else seemed to realize it too - Eizen and Sahra seemed to move even faster, Lucine took more risks on the offensive, and when Zaveid darted past Edna's field of view, she saw him grinning.

_It won't be easy, but we can win!_

"Fast as a bird!"

Eizen's sudden shout froze time, and Edna watched as white fire enveloped his massive blade.

"Day and night, life and death," he intoned; "each needs the other to be whole!"

He lifted his nodachi in both hands, and then there were more hands; Edna couldn't see faces, but she could _feel_ the souls lending Eizen their power: Ten were entirely foreign to her, one felt vaguely familiar, one was definitely Sorey, and one, she realized with a jolt, was none other than her older brother, Eizen's namesake. _Brother,_ she thought, her eyes stinging as she watched the deceased souls add their own strengths to Eizen's grip - she could only assume these were the thirteen who had helped Eizen draw the Sacred Blade. Then, suddenly, there was a fourteenth, embodying the loneliest vigor, a new addition to the group of their deceased allies, whose essence Edna knew nearly as well as that of the previous Shepherd:_ Sadie_.

Eizen smiled as he closed his eyes. "With all our hearts," he said softly, and then he was a blur, darting too fast to be seen, his movements as he slashed the monster to pieces visible only through the white light left behind by his sword.

"_Anima Saber_!"

Mana exploded, bright as the sun, and Niko roared as Eizen came to rest behind her form. The dragon stumbled, and Eizen turned around and leapt into the air. Roaring a battle cry, he brought the legendary sword down on Niko-

And suddenly she split into two, a white-horned dragon and the draconian little Lord of Calamity, and Eizen's blade sliced through thin air before burying itself in the ground. Lailah leapt up, spreading her two pairs of wings, and swooped around to where Niko lay; the Lord of Calamity's red talons latched onto the white-horned dragon's claws, and she hauled herself onto her mount as both rose high into the sky, soon out of the range of most seraphic artes.

"_Niko_!" Eizen shouted as his sister laughed maniacally. "That's not fair! Come down here and face your defeat like a real Rangetsu!"

"Fair is a word for losers, dear brother!" Niko laughed, her voice faint with distance. "I have no interest in our family's honor, you know that!"

"We _won_!" Eizen argued furiously. "You can't just run away!"

"Call it a tactical retreat," Niko sneered. "I will gather even more power, and then I will come back for you. I will spread malevolence until this world is pure, brother of mine, and I will not let you stop me!"

Everyone stared, flabbergasted that their foe would run away on her last shred of health rather than face them. Edna looked at Eizen, and saw that his golden eyes were hard, calculating, glinting as though he had an idea.

"Everyone," Eizen said softly, "come to rest within me. Now!"

"But-"

"_Now_!" Eizen shouted as he sheathed Stormhowl, and Edna flinched and obeyed. Sahra, Lucine, and Zaveid did the same, and then they were all within their vessel, looking out through his eyes. Though his thoughts weren't open to Edna's insight, she felt his muscles tense, his eyes focused on the distant dragon that swooped down to gain momentum so it could fly away; normally, Niko's monsters made short dives before rising again, but the dragon that had been Lailah was badly injured, so it needed more help to do what it needed to do. Every inch it descended, Eizen's muscles tensed more and more, as though he was readying himself for something.

Just a moment too late, Edna realized what Eizen was up to. As the dragon reached the lowest point of its dive, which came just close enough, Eizen ran forward, leapt as high as he could, and threw his limbs around the dragon's rear leg as it swept up into the sky.

* * *

**A little more fangirl indulgence, if you'll allow me: My idea for how Empath's Javelin would work is, it would gain power based on how much damage has been dealt to the caster's party by the target (not counting damage that has been healed), plus a bonus multiplier for any KO'd allies, AND any status ailments afflicting any party members will be inflicted on the Mystic Arte's target as well. Excellent for boss fights, sucky for pretty much anything else. Both of Lucine's Mystic Artes would be very situational and gimmicky, but in a way, I guess she herself is, too… XD As for Anima Saber, it would only be useable during Stormhowl fights, so while it TECHNICALLY would carry over through the time warp, the circumstances for its use would never arise. Come to think of it, this is the only fight it would be used in…unless the postgame dungeon warranted Stormhowl's use…but then Sadie's soul wouldn't be there to lend it strength…hmm…**

* * *

**If you want to know how and why Theodora got the nickname "little devil" from Zaveid, see my Berseria-only M-rated oneshot, "Live, No Matter What".**


	24. Where Freedom Lives

_Eizen, are you crazy?!_

Edna's scream echoed through Eizen's mind as he fastened his arms and legs around the thick, scaly rear leg of the dragon. Made of malevolence and mana or not, he could _feel_ the muscles moving under the scales as the monster that had been Lailah added the thrust of her legs to her movement and drove herself skyward; the sharp, jagged edges of those scales dug into him, but he clutched her with all his strength, refusing to let go.

_Cellie said Niko uses her dragons to get to the 'dark place',_ he told his seraphim silently, knowing full well that, if he tried to speak out loud, his voice would be torn away by the wind whipping past his face from the dragon's furiously beating wings, _and in the Earthen Historia, she said she needed dragons to commune with the First Shadow properly. Wherever she's going, it's where we'll find answers; we have to go with her._

_I'm not saying that doesn't make sense,_ Sahra remarked, _but I'm with Edna on this one._

_We have to do this,_ Eizen responded grimly, talking to himself as much as his comrades as he gripped the scaly leg even more tightly. _We have to. We'll be fine as long as we hold on._

None of the others seemed convinced of this, but Eizen didn't loosen his grip, placing all his focus on his arms and legs, hands and feet, clinging with everything he had. They rose up and up and up; Eizen kept his eyes shut, but it didn't feel like they were leveling out, instead surging higher and higher.

_Eizen, you need to let go!_ Zaveid shouted suddenly.

The alarm in his wind seraph uncle's voice got Eizen's attention. _Why?_ he asked.

_We're too high up,_ his Prime Lord replied. _At a certain point, even the wind can't go any higher; there won't be any air for you to breathe._

_Really?_ Sahra asked curiously.

_What, did you think the air just went on forever?_ Zaveid asked in reply.

_But we can't let go now!_ Lucine protested worriedly. _A fall from this height would kill us!_

_I'll catch us,_ Zaveid said firmly. _Just like before, remember, kiddo? No matter how high up you fall from, I can catch you._

Eizen did remember. _"Are you afraid of heights, Shepherd?"_ Symonne's mocking voice drifted through his head. _No,_ he told Zaveid firmly; _we're seeing this through to the end. I don't think Niko knows we're here, so wherever she's going, it's a place she can survive; that means we will too._

_I'm not so sure,_ Zaveid said as the wind whipping Eizen grew colder and colder; a splitting pain had started to build in his ears for some reason, but he ignored it and focused on holding on.

_Only a dragon can get to the dark place,_ Eizen stated._ That's the most we can safely assume from what we saw and what we know. Maybe even the wind can't get there, but a dragon can. And that's where we'll find the answer._

_The key to breaking the curse of malevolence, you mean?_ Edna asked drily.

_I said I'd do whatever it took,_ Eizen thought. _There is no risk I won't take. I have to-_

Suddenly, a wall of _something_ hit Eizen hard, nearly breaking his grip on the scaly leg; it felt as though the dragon that had been Lailah had plunged into a body of water at full speed, but that water was made up of claws and teeth that tore at Eizen, phasing through his skin to rip at his heart and soul - and at the seraphim who lived within him. Screams rang through his head as his allies were almost torn loose from where they rested, and Eizen quickly focused his spirit on reaching out to pull them back.

_Fylk Zahdeya, Hephsin Yulind, Melphis Amekia, Vuswos Kakwa,_ he intoned as he grabbed them each in turn with his mind, _I am your vessel, you are safe within me. Hold on to me, my comrades, my friends; we will get through this together._

Though he could feel their pain, their spirits gripped him right back, and they held on, them to him, him to both them and the dragon, a chain that was dragged through the tearing darkness, and then-

All at once, they emerged out the other side of whatever they had passed through, and into a world that Eizen could feel, even with his eyes closed, was positively choked with malevolence; the pain in his ears abruptly ended as the blessings of the Five Lords emerged from within his being to play along his skin, shielding him from the smothering corruption as he gasped for air.

_…__Air?_

Suddenly, Lailah's direction shifted drastically, and then she hit something, landing hard enough that even Eizen's absolute focus wasn't enough for him to maintain his grip; he was thrown from the dragon's leg and sent tumbling across the ground.

_…__Ground?_

Groaning, Eizen panted and pushed himself into a sitting position, opening his eyes at last to take stock of his surroundings.

Underneath him was what appeared to be pure, crystalized malevolence; where his fingerless Shepherd's glove left his skin bare, contact with whatever he was lying on burned and itched, and he removed his exposed fingers from the surface quickly as he stood. Looking up, he saw the stars, stars that were always there even when blotted out by the sun, as his parents had once seen when they ascended to battle Innominat. His seraphim emerged from within him, and he was glad to feel them manifest around him, to know that he was not alone in this place, whatever it was.

"Gather your strength, my white-horned beauty," Niko was murmuring to her dragon in the background. "Rest as you will; my brother was merciless. When we return, he will not be so lucky."

Lailah's roar fell on deaf ears as Eizen looked around and was suddenly struck with an impossible sight: a massive, glowing, green-and-blue sphere that was covered with swirling white that moved as he watched. It seemed so close, but knowing what it was, the orb could only be impossibly far away.

"Is that…?" Sahra gasped.

"That's our world," Eizen said softly, staring at the planet with awe. Tearing his gaze away from the place that had always seemed infinite from his limited perspective, he shook his head, hard. "Where _are_ we?" he asked.

"Beats the hell out of me," Zaveid shrugged.

"Well, well, well."

Everyone turned to see Niko stalking over to them, grinning, her white-horned mount nowhere in sight.

"I thought my steed seemed to rise more slowly than she should have," Niko snickered. "You hitched a ride, did you, dear brother?"

"That's right," Eizen said, steeling his resolve: _Focus now, think later._ "What is this place, Niko?"

Niko spread her crimson claws wide in a mockery of a welcoming gesture. "This is the skypulse, home of the First Shadow," she answered. "Welcome, foolish Shepherd and seraphim; you are the first mortals who have rejected the embrace of malevolence to ever set foot here."

"And what _is_ the First Shadow?!" Eizen demanded, stepping forward as he gripped the hilt of his katana. "Tell us!"

"Oh, that's such a complicated question…but, would you like to meet him?" Niko asked with a wicked smile. "I'm sure he would _love_ to meet _you_."

"The First Shadow…is a person?" Eizen questioned.

In response, Niko threw her head back and laughed her hellish, unhinged laugh. Then she spread her claws over her head and called, "Come forth, my lord and master! Show these fools what they are truly up against!"

Eizen braced himself, but nothing happened, or so it seemed at first. Then, above Niko's upraised talons, a presence began to take form in the spaces between the stars.

Until that moment, Eizen had always assumed darkness to be nothing more than an absence of light; now, watching the First Shadow take shape before him, he realized he had been wrong. Whatever was coming seemed as radiant as light, but was a force that opposed light, sucked it away - looking directly at it was painful, and Eizen was forced to focus on the outline of the entity as it gathered itself, impossibly huge, and became more defined. It was big, big enough to cover all of Glenwood with ease and then some, and as it finally seemed to fill out its own details, Eizen could see that it was taking the form of a dragon: tail, claws, wings, a long neck. As the head began to come together, more stars suddenly seemed to wink into existence, little pinpricks of light that formed a thick, jagged line along its snout, marking where the points of the fangs would be on a normal dragon.

_Stars like teeth,_ Eizen remembered from Edna's description of his mother's nightmare.

Two bright white lights opened at the top of the head - the monster's eyes, piercing through Eizen right to his core as the luminescent openings in the entity took him in, its gaze intense and scorching. Last came the horns, smaller than the ones on Lailah, relatively speaking, and the First Shadow finished manifesting its entire being - like the planet behind Eizen, though it seemed to be close, its sheer size meant that it could only be impossibly far away.

Gritting his teeth, Eizen tightened his grip on the hilt of his katana as his allies took ready positions behind him. Whatever this was, a fight seemed inevitable.

Then, something brushed against Eizen's mind, some vast, unknowable presence that was trying to communicate without words. The impressions were sent to Eizen's brain directly, without sound, and his brain struggled with the message for a minute before eventually producing a rough translation that Eizen could understand.

[**W**ELCOME, MORTALS, TO THE LAND OF MY EXILE,] came the resulting approximation. [**I** AM **K**UKSEDRA*, THE **F**IRST** S**HADOW.]

Pain began to build behind Eizen's eyes, and he had to release his grip on his holstered weapon to rub his temples, fighting the headache translating the entity's words had caused.

"What the hell is this?" Sahra asked from behind him, and he could hear the grimace in her voice. "Some kind of…Great Lord of Malevolence?"

Kuksedra roared, and this time it _was_ with sound, a deafening, soul-shattering noise that nearly sent Eizen to his knees. He clapped his hands over his ears, but of course, this didn't deafen him to the monster's response, as his ears had no part in the interpretation of that message.

[**D**O NOT EQUATE ME TO YOUR PATHETIC **G**REAT **L**ORDS,] Kuksedra snarled. [**I** AM FAR OLDER THAN YOUR BELOVED **M**AOTELUS OR ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW - OLDER THAN YOU, **D**AUGHTER OF **E**ARTH, AND OLDER THAN YOU, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND. **I** AM OLDER THAN YOUR PRECIOUS **G**REAT** L**ORDS OF THE ELEMENTS, OLDER THAN THE RACE OF SERAPHIM, OLDER THAN THE RACE OF MANKIND. **I** AM OLDER THAN THE PLANTS AND THE ANIMALS, THE SEAS AND THE SKIES. **I** AM AS OLD AS THE MORTAL WORLD ITSELF! **I** AM THE **F**IRST** S**HADOW! **_I_**_ AM _**_K_**_UKSEDRA_!]

"Yeah," Edna spat through clenched teeth, teeth that were surely gritted against a pain equivalent to what Eizen felt, "we heard you the first time."

[**Y**OU HEAR,] Kuksedra said, [BUT YOU DO NOT _UNDERSTAND_. **Y**OUR MORTAL MINDS ARE TOO FEEBLE AND LIMITED TO COMPREHEND THAT WHICH LIES BEFORE YOU.]

"Oh, tell them the story!" Niko said brightly, with an enthusiasm that reminded Eizen of when Cellie used to ask their father to tell her one of her favorite bedtime stories about ancient swordfights of Rangetsus past. "Tell them, and maybe then they'll understand!"

[**P**ERHAPS…]

"Tell us this story," Eizen stated, forcing himself to stand up straight and look in the general direction of the First Shadow, even if meeting the entity's eyes directly was impossible. "I came here hoping for answers; maybe your story will give them to me."

[**T**HAT IT WOULD,] Kuksedra said, [THOUGH THE ANSWERS ARE NOT WHAT YOU THINK.] His blinding gaze turned to the seraphim behind Eizen, and he added, [**Y**OU HAVE ASKED FOR ANSWERS FOR CENTURIES, **D**AUGHTER OF **F**IRE AND **M**AN, NOT KNOWING YOU WERE DIRECTING YOUR QUESTIONS AT ME. **A**RE YOU PREPARED FOR THOSE ANSWERS?]

Something about the beast's undertone, such as it was, made Eizen uneasy, but Sahra called, "Tell us what you are! Tell us everything!"

[**V**ERY WELL,] Kuksedra said, with a surprisingly mortal-looking nod of his massive head. [**L**ISTEN NOW TO THE TALE OF YOUR WORLD, AND HOW ALL ITS WOES CAME TO BE.

[**I** CAME INTO BEING WHEN THE MORTAL WORLD BEGAN - **I** AND MY SISTER, **P**HOENIA, THE **F**IRST **L**IGHT.] Along with the words, Eizen suddenly got a mental image of another impossibly huge dragon, this one as brilliantly incandescent as Kuksedra was suffocatingly dark, with warm black eyes and shining obsidian teeth. [**I**T WAS OUR SACRED DUTY TO WATCH OVER THE WORLD, THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS, AS LIFE CAME TO BE AND THE LANDS TOOK SHAPE. **S**HE AND **I** REIGNED OVER THE DUALITY OF ALL OF NATURE AND KEPT EVERYTHING IN BALANCE: WARM AND HOT, COOL AND COLD, DAY AND NIGHT, LIGHT AND DARK, BIRTH AND DEATH. **T**HIS WAS OUR PURPOSE, AND WE WERE TO WORK TOGETHER, UNITED IN ALL THINGS. **F**OR MANY EONS, THIS WAS SO, AND ALL WAS PERFECT IN THE MORTAL WORLD.]

Another image came to Eizen's mind's eye, this of the white dragon and the black dragon encircling the globe together, each one's snout touching the other's tail, orbiting around and around the planet in perfect unison; though the picture hurt Eizen's brain to process, the sight of it seemed to be the very embodiment of peace, of absolute harmony and balance, a perfect world, and Eizen wanted to gaze at it forever.

[**B**UT THEN,] Kuksedra went on, and Eizen felt echoes of bitterness and resentment coming off the dark god as the beautiful image faded, [MY SISTER CAME TO ME AND TOLD ME SHE WAS BORED. **W**E NO LONGER SERVED ANY PURPOSE, OR SO SHE CLAIMED - THE NATURAL ORDER, THE BALANCE OF DUALITY, ALL OF IT WAS MAINTAINING ITSELF PERFECTLY WELL ON ITS OWN. **S**HE WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE A CONSCIOUSNESS ON PAR WITH OUR OWN, BEINGS THAT COULD MAKE CHOICES BETWEEN THE **L**IGHT AND THE **D**ARK…BEINGS WITH SOULS, LIKE WHAT WE HAD.

[**I** WAS APPALLED; WE WERE BORN TO MAINTAIN THE NATURAL ORDER, NOT TO DIRECT THE PROCESS OF CREATION OURSELVES. **I** REFUSED, AND YET SHE DID NOT HEAR ME. **T**HRICE DID SHE ASK MY COOPERATION, AND THRICE **I** DENIED HER. **I** THOUGHT LITTLE OF IT; TO ME, OUR SACRED DUTY WAS EVERYTHING, AND SO LONG AS WE HAD THAT AND EACH OTHER, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANYTHING MORE. **I** TRUSTED HER. **I** SHOULD NOT HAVE.]

The longer Kuksedra spoke, the easier a time Eizen's brain had with approximating his messages into words - though he knew the translation was far from perfect, he was confident that he at least understood the gist…but that gist was unfathomable.

[**W**HEN SHE REALIZED **I** WOULD NOT JOIN IN HER MAD PURSUITS, MY SISTER DECIDED TO ACT WITHOUT ME,] Kuksedra went on, and his bitterness turned to fury upon even suggesting these words - Eizen got the distinct sense that for one of the primal deities to act without the other was somehow unconscionable. The words became more and more loose in their translation as the First Shadow continued, [**T**AKING HER DIVINE POWERS INTO HER OWN HANDS, **P**HOENIA GAVE BIRTH TO NEW CREATURES, BEINGS THAT WERE AWARE AND ALIVE AS SHE AND **I** WERE. **H**OWEVER, THEY KNEW ONLY HER **L**IGHT, AND NONE OF MY **D**ARKNESS; WITHOUT BOTH, THE BEINGS SHE SPAWNED WERE ABOMINATIONS, EMPTY AND MINDLESS, LITTLE MORE THAN DOLLS DESIGNED TO AMUSE HER, DOLLS THAT DID ONLY AS SHE SAID, WITH NO TRUE WILL OF THEIR OWN.

[**W**HEN **I** DISCOVERED WHAT SHE HAD DONE, **I** WAS HORRIFIED, BUT IT WAS NOT AN IRREDEEMABLE ACT. **S**EEING THAT SHE WAS TRULY DETERMINED TO MAKE THESE NEW CREATURES, **I** DECIDED THAT **I** WOULD DO MY PART, AND ENSURE THAT THEY BE WHOLE, AS ALL THINGS IN NATURE MUST BE ACCORDING TO OUR DIVINE MANDATE. **S**O, **I** REACHED OUT TO THESE BEINGS AND ADDED MY OWN INFLUENCE, THAT THEY WOULD KNOW BOTH THE **L**IGHT AND THE **D**ARK AND BE ABLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO, THUS GRANTING THEM THEIR OWN WILL AND MAKING THEM PERFECT.]

"I'm guessing that didn't work out so well," Eizen said.

[**Y**OU CATCH ON QUICKLY, **P**ACT **K**EEPER,] Kuksedra remarked. [**I**NDEED…**T**HE TROUBLE WAS THAT MY SISTER'S CREATIONS WERE NOT DESIGNED WITH MY POWERS IN MIND, AND COULD NOT PROPERLY HANDLE BOTH THE **L**IGHT AND THE **D**ARK SHARING THEIR BEINGS. **S**UCH A THING WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE, YET HER ARROGANCE AND SELFISHNESS HAD CREATED SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE, SOMETHING THAT COULD NOT EASILY HANDLE THE DUALITY OF ALL NATURAL THINGS; INSTEAD, THE INTRODUCTION OF MY POWER, RATHER THAN BALANCING THE CREATURES, WAS MORE INCLINED TO CONSUME THEM, TO EAT AWAY AT THE **L**IGHT RATHER THAN COEXIST WITH IT. **W**HAT WAS WORSE, ONCE THE **D**ARKNESS ATE THEM, THEY BEGAN TO PRODUCE EVEN MORE OF IT, MORE THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD, AND IT WOULD LEAK OUT OF THEM AND POISON THEIR SURROUNDINGS WITH THE IMBALANCE.]

"You created malevolence!" Lucine gasped.

[**T**HIS WAS NOT MY INTENTION,] Kuksedra stated firmly. [**I** SOUGHT ONLY TO _CORRECT_ THE IMBALANCE, NOT MAKE A MORE DRASTIC ONE. **A**GAIN, THERE WAS NO WAY **I** COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS OUTCOME, FOR SUCH A THING WAS NOT MEANT TO EVER EXIST.]

"You mean humans," Eizen said softly. "We were your sister's creations, and…we were never supposed to exist."

[**J**UST SO,] Kuksedra punctuated with another nod, and Eizen found himself wondering if he was using a gesture used by humans, or if humans simply used a gesture that had originally belonged to the primal deities. [**O**F COURSE, EVEN WHEN THE CORRUPTION EVOLVED INTO THE ABERRATION YOU KNOW AS MALEVOLENCE, IT WAS NOT TOO LATE FOR THE SITUATION TO BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY; **P**HOENIA AND **I**, WORKING TOGETHER, COULD EASILY HAVE RECTIFIED THE FAULT IN THE WAY YOUR KIND WERE CONSTRUCTED. **B**UT INSTEAD…] Rage poured off of the dark god, almost physically pushing Eizen back with its intensity. [**I**NSTEAD,] Kuksedra hissed, [MY SISTER ATTACKED ME. **O**UTRAGED THAT **I** HAD INTERFERED WITH HER LITTLE PET PROJECT, SHE TURNED AGAINST ME UTTERLY, TRIED TO DESTROY ME FOR 'CORRUPTING' HER ABOMINATIONS. **I**T WAS THEN THAT **I** FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE WAS NOT BORED, BUT RATHER THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE EVERYTHING WITH ME - SHE WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS HERS AND HERS ALONE.]

"Is that so strange for a sister?" Eizen asked.

[**S**HE WAS MY _SISTER_!] Kuksedra roared, but this time the translation of the word didn't seem quite so certain to Eizen's brain - it still sounded like 'sister', but it also kind of sounded like 'counterpart', or maybe even 'other half'. [**W**E WERE MEANT TO SHARE IN _ALL THINGS_, SUCH WAS OUR SACRED DUTY, OUR DIVINE MANDATE! **A**ND SHE WANTED TO BREAK THAT OATH, TURN HER BACK ON EVERYTHING WE EXISTED TO DO, AND HAVE SOMETHING ALL HER OWN! **I**T WAS AN OUTRAGE, A MONSTROSITY! **A**ND **I**, UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE HAD ABANDONED HER OWN REASON FOR EXISTING, FELT OUTRAGED IN RETURN, AND THOUGH **I** MERELY DEFENDED MYSELF AT FIRST, SOON ENOUGH, **I** FOUGHT BACK.

[**O**UR BATTLE RAGED THROUGH THE LANDS, THE SEAS, AND THE SKIES, WHILE HUMANS, DRIVEN MAD BY THEIR OWN IMPERFECTIONS, TURNED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND EVERYTHING AROUND THEM. **W**ITHIN THE EARTH AND WITHOUT, FROM THE HIGHEST CLOUD TO THE CENTER OF THE PLANET, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE LAND'S SURFACE, ALL WAS CHAOS. **T**HERE WAS NO ORDER, FOR THERE WAS NOTHING TO MAINTAIN THAT ORDER; NATURE DESTROYED ITSELF, WHILE MY SISTER AND **I** SOUGHT TO DESTROY EACH OTHER. **W**E INFLICTED TERRIBLE INJURIES UPON ONE ANOTHER, AND…] These words became even harder to translate, and Eizen felt his headache build again as his brain tried to keep up. […WHERE OUR BLOOD FELL FROM OUR BODIES AND MET WITHIN THE FLOW OF THE EARTH'S ENERGY, WHERE CAST-OFF **L**IGHT AND CAST-OFF **D**ARK UNITED…FROM THERE AROSE NEW BEINGS, BEINGS NOT OF FLESH BUT OF ENERGY, WITH SOULS LIKE MINE AND MY SISTER'S AND BODIES GIVEN FORM BY ONE OF THE FOUR BASE ELEMENTS OF NATURE; BUT UNLIKE THOSE LOWLY CREATURES **P**HOENIA CREATED, THESE BEINGS NATURALLY TOOK TO THE BALANCE OF DUALITY, AND WERE PERFECT.]

"The seraphim!" Eizen gasped.

[**N**O,] Kuksedra said, surprising Eizen, [THESE WERE THE **E**LEMENTALS. **H**OWEVER, BOTH MY SISTER AND **I** RECOGNIZED THEIR PERFECTION, AND AS WE FOUGHT, **I** FELT HER DESIRE TO MAKE IT SO THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE, THAT THESE BEINGS WOULD MANIFEST ACROSS TIME, AND LIVE AND DIE AS MORTALS, PERFECT AND PURE. **I** AGREED TO THIS, AND WHEN SHE REACHED INTO THE ENERGY OF THE MORTAL WORLD AND ADJUSTED IT SO THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE - THE SERAPHIM - **I** ADDED MY OWN POWER TO THE CHANGE. **I** EVEN AGREED TO MAKE IT SO THAT THOSE FEW HUMANS WHO COULD FIND BALANCE IN THEMSELVES WOULD BE GIVEN SECOND LIFE AS SERAPHIM, SANCTIFICATION OF THOSE FEW AMONG MY SISTER'S CREATIONS WHO MIGHT EARN THAT HONOR. **I**N DOING THIS, **I** THOUGHT, NOT ONLY WOULD MY SISTER FINALLY GET THE PERFECT BUT CONSCIOUS CREATURES SHE'D ASKED FOR, BUT IT WAS ALSO INTENDED AS A PEACE OFFERING ON MY PART, THAT OUR QUARREL WOULD END, AND ALL WOULD GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE.]

"Guessing she had other ideas," Zaveid commented darkly.

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra growled. [**O**NCE THE CHANGE WAS WROUGHT, RATHER THAN CALM DOWN, MY SISTER ATTACKED ME WITH REDOUBLED FORCE, HER VERY EXISTENCE NOW STANDING ONLY TO ANNIHILATE MY OWN. **W**ITH THIS, **I** FINALLY SAW THE HORRIBLE TRUTH: **_M_**_Y SISTER HATED ME_.] At this, Kuksedra's star-lined jaws opened, and Eizen braced himself fruitlessly against the roar of sheer, utter rage that tore through the skypulse. [**I** LOVED HER!] Kuksedra howled furiously. [**I** _LOVED_ HER, SHE WAS MY SISTER AND **I** WAS HER BROTHER, WE WERE MEANT TO SHARE IN EVERYTHING, YET SHE DESPISED ME! **E**VERYTHING WE WERE, EVERYTHING WE STOOD FOR, ALL OF IT WAS SO MUCH NONSENSE IN HER EYES; **I** WAS A MONSTER TO HER, AND SHE WANTED ME GONE! **K**NOWING THAT OUR SACRED MANDATE HAD BEEN PERVERTED BEYOND ANY SALVAGING, **I** TURNED AGAINST HER WHOLLY, WANTING NOTHING MORE THAN TO PUNISH HER FOR HER BETRAYAL!]

"But she beat you?" Eizen guessed.

[**N**O,] Kuksedra replied coldly. [**S**HE AND **I** CAME INTO BEING AS PERFECT EQUALS, NEITHER OF US MORE POWERFUL THAN THE OTHER; THERE COULD BE NO VICTOR IN OUR BATTLE. **I** DID NOT CARE, BUT EVENTUALLY SHE SEEMED TO REALIZE THAT ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY ME WAS POINTLESS. **T**HE DAY CAME WHEN SHE WITHDREW HER ESSENCE FROM THE LANDS, THE SEAS, AND THE SKIES, TO MANIFEST HER BEING IN ONE SINGLE, CONCENTRATED PLACE. **I** DID THE SAME, THINKING SHE SOUGHT TO FOCUS HER POWER ON THE PIECES OF ME THAT PERMEATED EXISTENCE, BIT BY BIT, AND THUS DESTROY ME. **I**N THINKING SO, **I** FELL INTO HER TRAP. **O**NCE SHE AND **I** HAD BOTH MANIFESTED THE ENTIRETY OF OUR BEINGS INTO TWO SOLID SHAPES, MY SISTER GAVE HER VERY LIFE TO BANISH ME FROM THE MORTAL WORLD, TEARING OPEN THE FABRIC OF REALITY AND SEALING ME HERE, IN A POCKET DIMENSION AWAY FROM THE LAND **I** WAS BORN TO PROTECT, HER DOMAIN ENCOMPASSING THE MORTAL WORLD, THAT MY INFLUENCE MIGHT NEVER REACH IT AGAIN. **S**HE DIED, AND WHERE HER REMAINS FELL, THERE OPENED A PASSAGEWAY TO THE REALM OF THE GODS, THE **H**EAVENLY** G**ATE.

[**D**URING ALL THIS CHAOS, THE **E**LEMENTALS TRIED DESPERATELY TO SALVAGE THE CRUMBLING WORLD, BUT THE IMPURITY PRODUCED BY THE MADDENED HUMANS WAS POISONOUS TO THEM, AND TO THE SERAPHIM WHO MANIFESTED AFTER THEM. **M**ANY DIED OF THIS, **E**LEMENTALS AND SERAPHIM ALIKE, WHILE OTHERS SIMPLY HID AWAY FROM IT ALL…BUT SOME FEW HAPPENED UPON THE HANDFULS OF HUMANS WHO MANAGED TO OVERCOME THEIR OWN IMPERFECTIONS AND FORCE THEIR SOULS INTO BALANCE, EVEN AS THEIR BRETHREN WROUGHT HAVOC ACROSS THE LAND. **T**HESE FEW HUMANS, **E**LEMENTALS, AND SERAPHIM SHELTERED TOGETHER, FORMING SMALL OASES OF ORDER AMONG ALL THE CHAOS. **T**HE IMPURITY WAS STILL POISONOUS, HOWEVER, AND WHEN THE **H**EAVENLY **G**ATE OPENED, THE **E**LEMENTALS AND SERAPHIM, RECOGNIZING THEIR HOME, RETREATED TO THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM TO TAKE SHELTER FROM THE TOXIN.]

"Hold on," Sahra spoke up, "I thought you said the Elementals happened when your and your counterpart's blood met in the earthpulse, and that seraphim were designed to manifest in that same way; how was the Heavenly Realm their home?"

[**T**HE **E**LEMENTALS WERE INDEED BORN FROM MYSELF AND MY SISTER, AND…] Kuksedra then said something that didn't translate right away; as accustomed as Eizen's brain had become to interpreting the primal deity's messages, this was something for which there truly were no equivalent words in mortal language. A long minute and a splitting headache later, Eizen's brain eventually spat out the vague approximation, […THE EGG THAT HATCHED INTO MYSELF AND MY SISTER WAS BIRTHED FROM THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM.

[**Y**OU KNOW MUCH OF THE REST,] Kuksedra went on once the mortals had caught up: [**H**OW THOSE REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM ARGUED AMONGST EACH OTHER ABOUT WHETHER TO END ALL LIFE IN THE MORTAL WORLD OR ATTEMPT PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE WITH MANKIND, AS, FROM WITHIN THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM, THIS WAS WITHIN THEIR POWER TO DO. **N**OT KNOWING FROM WHENCE THEY CAME, NOR WHY THEY DID NOT PRODUCE MALEVOLENCE, THE SERAPHIM THOUGHT THEMSELVES SUPERIOR BEINGS, BEINGS NOT OF THE EARTHLY REALM, THOUGH IN TRUTH, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THEIR BODIES WERE NOT DESIGNED TO BE FAULTY - THEIR SOULS AND HUMAN SOULS ARE IN FACT ONE AND THE SAME. **E**VEN DESPITE THEIR IGNORANCE, HOWEVER, THE SERAPHIM ULTIMATELY REACHED A COMPROMISE, AND WITH THAT COMPROMISE CAME MY OWN OPPORTUNITY FOR REVENGE. **T**HEY SOUGHT TO ALTER THE NATURE OF THE IMPURITY, THAT THOSE CORRUPTED BY IT WOULD BE EASILY RECOGNIZABLE VIA MARKINGS VISIBLE ONLY TO THOSE WITH WHAT YOU CALL RESONANCE, SO THAT THE **E**LEMENTALS AND SERAPHIM WHO WOULD DESCEND FROM THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM WOULD MORE EASILY BE ABLE TO AVOID THE POISON THAT SICKENED AND KILLED THEIR KIND; BUT, SEALED AWAY THOUGH **I** WAS, WHAT YOU CALL MALEVOLENCE WAS SO PURELY _MINE_, **I** WAS STILL ABLE TO EFFECT SOME AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE ON THE MORTAL WORLD THROUGH IT. **I** HIJACKED THIS ALTERATION, AND MADE IT SO THAT THE CHANGE WOULD GRANT ANY WHO EMBRACED MY POWER AND TURNED THEIR BACK ON MY SISTER'S **L**IGHT UNFATHOMABLE STRENGTH AND ETERNAL LIFE, WITH THEIR VERY BODIES SERVING AS WEAPONS. **I** WAS EVEN ABLE TO CHANGE THE FATE OF SERAPHIM CORRUPTED BY THE IMPURITY - THE CURSE WAS NEVER INTENDED TO AFFECT THEM, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE MORTAL, IT COULD BE REWORKED TO SHAPE THEM TOO, AND SO, RATHER THAN DYING, THEY WOULD BECOME TOOLS OF MY VENGEANCE…REMADE IN THE IMAGES OF MYSELF AND MY SISTER. **N**EVER LET IT BE SAID THAT A PRIMAL DEITY CANNOT HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR.]

"Hold up a minute there, Your Royal Darkness," Zaveid said suddenly, and everyone turned to see his eyes wide as he gazed up at the primal deity. "I thought the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm betrayed us," he protested. "That they lied about the terms of the oath, to use us to destroy humanity and everyone who disagreed with them in one fell swoop."

[**N**O,] Kuksedra replied. [**T**HE SERAPHIM OF THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM WERE AS SURPRISED BY THE RESULTS OF THE ALTERATION AS THE MALAKHIM WHO DESCENDED. **O**F COURSE, NOT KNOWING OF ME, THE MALAKHIM HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ASSUME THEY HAD BEEN BETRAYED. **E**VEN THE SERAPHIM OF THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM BELIEVE TO THIS DAY THAT SOMEONE, OR SEVERAL PEOPLE, INVOLVED IN THE CASTING OF THE ALTERATION MADE THE CHANGE TO THE PLAN DELIBERATELY; WHAT ELSE COULD THEY ASSUME? **U**NLIKE THOSE WHO DESCENDED, THOUGH, THOSE WHO STAYED IN THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM ARE NOT UPSET BY THE OUTCOME - PLENTY OF THEM BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO WOULD WILLINGLY LIVE ALONGSIDE HUMANS DESERVES NO BETTER, AND WISH THEY KNEW WHO ACTED OUT SO THEY CAN THANK THEM FOR THEIR CLEVERNESS.]

"But it was you," Zaveid breathed. "_You_ did this." The wind seraph's expression twisted into a snarl. "_You_ cast the curse!" he roared furiously.

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra nodded without a trace of remorse.

"But why?" Eizen exclaimed. "Why would you do that? You said your sacred duty was to maintain the balance between Light and Dark, why would you make it so easy for Darkness to overpower Light?"

[**_B_**_ALANCE_,] Kuksedra spat with disgust. [**B**ALANCE, BETWEEN MY SISTER'S DOMINION AND MY OWN?! **W**HAT RIGHT DOES THAT TRAITOR HAVE TO STILL HAVE ANY INFLUENCE AT ALL OVER THE WORLD? **S**HE BETRAYED ALL OF NATURE WHEN SHE TURNED AGAINST ME, SHE GAVE UP HER RIGHT TO EXIST; **I** REFUSE TO LET HER TREACHERY GO UNPUNISHED! **N**O…**I** WILL CREATE A WORLD WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF HER, AND **I** WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE THAT WORLD PERFECT WITHOUT HER.

[**I**T SEEMED THAT WHAT YOU NOW CALL A CURSE - THE CHANGE IN THE VERY NATURE OF MALEVOLENCE - COULD ONLY ACHIEVE THE WORLD **I** SOUGHT TO CREATE,] Kuksedra went on before Eizen could even respond. [**H**OWEVER, THE FOUR REMAINING **E**LEMENTALS - THE ONES YOU KNOW TODAY AS THE **G**REAT **L**ORDS - WERE CLEVER, AND SOUGHT TO CREATE SOME MEANS OF COUNTERING THE SMOTHERING **D**ARKNESS, THOUGH THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND PRECISELY WHAT IT WAS. **T**HEY CALLED FOR A VOLUNTEER WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO GIVE THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR BEING FOR THE CAUSE, AND ONE NOBLE MALAK STEPPED FORWARD. **W**ITH ALL THEIR POWER, THE **E**LEMENTALS WORKED TOGETHER TO STRIP HER OF HER ELEMENT, HER IDENTITY, HER THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS - EVEN HER VERY NAME, WHICH WAS EXPUNGED FROM EXISTENCE SO THOROUGHLY THAT EVEN **I** CANNOT SPEAK IT NOW - AND MOLD HER INSTEAD INTO A WEAPON THAT WOULD STOP MALEVOLENCE AT ITS VERY SOURCE.]

"Innominat!" Eizen gasped.

"Innominat was a she?" Lucine asked surprisedly.

[**T**HE MALAK WHO WOULD BECOME THE BEING YOU CALL **I**NNOMINAT WAS FEMALE; **I**NNOMINAT ITSELF WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A TOOL,] Kuksedra told them. Then, suddenly, he threw his head back and screeched, and this time, Eizen couldn't interpret the earsplitting sound as anything but laughter. [**Y**ET THE **E**LEMENTALS HAD NO CLUE WHAT IT WAS THEY EVEN FOUGHT!] the dark god roared mirthfully. [**D**ARKNESS AND **L**IGHT ARE BOTH INTRICATE PARTS OF ANY MORTAL'S VERY BEING; IN ORDER TO SUPPRESS THE **D**ARK, THEIR WEAPON HAD TO SUPPRESS THE **L**IGHT AS WELL, LEAVING NOTHING BUT A NEUTRAL EMPTINESS, THE PUREST OF LOGIC AND REASON. **N**ATURALLY, LACKING ANY SENSE OF SELF, HUMANS UNDER THIS INFLUENCE WOULD ULTIMATELY DETERMINE THEIR OWN EXISTENCE TO BE AGAINST REASON, AND DESTROY THEMSELVES.

[**T**HIS MIGHT HAVE MEANT THE END OF BOTH MY HOPES AND THEIRS, THE END OF MY INFLUENCE IN THE MORTAL WORLD AND THE END OF MANKIND ALIKE, WERE IT NOT FOR ONE FATAL FLAW IN THE **E**LEMENTALS' CREATION: **I**NNOMINAT'S VERY POWER WAS FUELED BY THE _CONSUMPTION_ OF MALEVOLENCE, AND WITHOUT HUMANS, THERE WAS NO IMPURITY ON WHICH FOR IT TO FEED. **E**VENTUALLY, IT WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ITS DOMAIN, AND FALL INTO HIBERNATION, LEAVING A HANDFUL OF EXCEPTIONALLY-RESILIENT HUMANS TO REBUILD AND REPOPULATE.

[**I** WATCHED THIS CYCLE TURN FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS, ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO REACH IN THROUGH MALEVOLENCE AND BRING ABOUT A WORLD OF ONLY **D**ARKNESS. **E**ACH TIME, MY ATTEMPTS WERE INTERRUPTED BY THE RISE OF **I**NNOMINAT, AND EACH TIME, **I** WAS THWARTED BY THE **S**UPPRESSION. **T**HIS COULD HAVE CONTINUED ON FOR ETERNITY, HAD IT NOT BEEN PUT TO A STOP BY…]

"My mother," Eizen breathed.

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra confirmed. [**O**NE OF **I**NNOMINAT'S SEVEN MOUTHS TURNED AGAINST IT, AND HEARD ME INSTEAD, THOUGH OF COURSE **I** WAS NEVER ABLE TO SPEAK TO HER DIRECTLY. **S**HE WAS A FINE CHAMPION, AND **I** THOUGHT THAT SHE MIGHT SUCCEED AT DESTROYING THE ONLY THING THAT STOOD BETWEEN MY GOALS AND THE MORTAL WORLD, AND THUS ALLOW ME TO WIPE OUT ALL THAT REMAINED OF THE TRAITOROUS **L**IGHT. **U**NFORTUNATELY, INSPIRED BY HER LOVE FOR THE COMRADES SHE MET ALONG HER WAY, SHE FOUND A DIFFERENT SOLUTION, AND SEALED **I**NNOMINAT INSTEAD, LEAVING HER NO LONGER OF USE TO ME.

[**E**VEN SO, THE WEAPON STANDING BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE WORLD WAS INCAPACITATED, WEAKENED, AND **I** WAS AT LAST ABLE TO SPREAD MY INFLUENCE TO THE MALAKHIM AND WORK THE IMBALANCE INTO THEM, THAT EVEN SHOULD THE **G**REAT **L**ORDS TRY ONCE MORE TO BLOCK ME OUT, THEY THEMSELVES WOULD BE ABLE TO SPREAD THE **D**ARKNESS THEY SO FEARED. **H**OWEVER, THEIR NEW SOLUTION CAME TO THEM IN THE FORM OF THE ONE YOU NOW CALL **M**AOTELUS, WHO BORE THE ABILITY TO BURN THE IMBALANCE AWAY AND ASKED TO GRANT THAT ABILITY TO ALL THE WORLD. **R**ATHER THAN REMAKE HIM AS A WEAPON, THE** G**REAT** L**ORDS, HAVING LEARNED FROM THEIR PREVIOUS MISTAKE, INSTEAD GRANTED HIM POWER WITHOUT STRIPPING HIM OF HIS BEING, A MORE DIFFICULT COUNTERMEASURE FOR ME TO COMBAT. **T**HOUGH **I** HAVE MANAGED TO FIND MORE CHAMPIONS SINCE, SO TOO HAS **M**AOTELUS, AND IN THE END, THE CYCLE MERELY BEGINS ANEW, AGAIN AND AGAIN. **O**R SO IT HAS BEEN…] Kuksedra turned fond eyes on Niko, who looked up at him with a rapturous grin. […UNTIL ONE VERY, VERY SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL WAS SO DETERMINED TO EMBRACE ME THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO GRANT ME A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION TO HER, HER WILL BREAKING INTO THE SKYPULSE FROM WITHIN THE MORTAL WORLD. **A**T LAST, **I** FOUND A CHAMPION WHO HEARD MY VOICE, AND TOGETHER, WE SHALL FINALLY MAKE THE MORTAL WORLD PURE.]

Eizen closed his eyes, taking this all in. It explained almost everything, and maybe, if he pondered it long enough, he'd be able to find a way to break the curse before going home. "Ku…Kuk…" He frowned; though he was making the sounds his brain told him he needed to make in order to pronounce the primal deity's name, it sounded wrong to his ears.

[**D**O NOT TROUBLE YOURSELF ATTEMPTING TO SPEAK MY NAME IN ITS TRUE FORM,] Kuksedra told him. [**N**O MORTAL TONGUE CAN PRONOUNCE EVERYTHING **I** AM IN A SINGLE WORD.]

"Uh, right," Eizen said. "K…Kuksedra…are you saying that if you-"

"So wait."

The sudden words from behind Eizen cut him off, and he turned to look at Sahra, who was fiddling with her braid, her light green eyes shifting from confused to indignant.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," she said softly, though her voice rose as she continued until it became a scream. "You're telling me that humans were a mistake, and seraphim were an _accident_?!"

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra replied. [**M**ANKIND WERE AN ABOMINATION THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE COME TO BE, AND SERAPHIM, THOUGH PERFECT, WERE AN UNINTENDED SIDE-EFFECT OF AN UNHOLY WAR BETWEEN GODS.] Again, the dark behemoth's jaws parted to let out his horrible, screeching laugh. [**Y**OU HAVE SOUGHT THE ANSWER TO YOUR OWN EXISTENCE FOR SO LONG, AND NOW HERE IT IS. **I**S IT EVERYTHING YOU EVER DREAMED OF, **D**AUGHTER OF **F**IRE AND **M**AN?]

While the primal deity taunted his fire seraph, Eizen realized that Edna wasn't among his other comrades. Turning around, trying not to look like he was searching for anything, he noticed Edna slowly sidling her way towards the massive primal deity out of the corner of his eye - she must have been at it for a while. Niko seemingly hadn't noticed his big sis's gambit, and he cast around for some means of keeping both the Lord of Calamity and her master distracted; whatever his next move might be could wait until they knew what they were truly up against.

"Hey, uh, what about normin?" he asked. "What are they?"

[**N**ORMIN? **A**H, YES,] Kuksedra nodded, [THE HALFLINGS. **T**HOSE AROSE FROM WHERE MY SISTER'S BLOOD DID NOT MERGE WITH MINE, YET HER POWER OVER BIRTH STILL MADE NEW LIFE MANIFEST; THUS, THEY CANNOT DIE NATURALLY. **Y**OU MAY NOTE THAT THE FIFTY DOG NORMIN HAVE LITTLE TO NO SENSE OF SELF-SERVITUDE, LIVING ONLY FOR OTHERS…SAVE FOR ONE WHOM **I** TRIED TO GRANT AUTONOMY TO, MORE CAUTIOUSLY THIS TIME, AS A TEST SUBJECT RATHER THAN A BLANKET FIX, AS I DID WITH HUMANS. **T**HAT ONE TOOK TO THE CHANGE STRANGELY, HOWEVER, AND NOT AS **I** WOULD HAVE IT BE; RATHER THAN **L**IGHT AND **D**ARK MIXING PROPERLY WITHIN HIM, HIS BLESSING AND BEING ARE OF THE **L**IGHT, OF THE OPPOSITION OF DEATH, YET HIS NATURE IS OF VANITY AND OBSESSION WITH HIS OWN SELF.]

"Phoenix," Zaveid said.

[**T**HE VERY SAME,] Kuksedra confirmed. [**O**F COURSE, ALL OF THAT IS ONLY THE CASE WITH THE DOG NORMIN - THE CAT NORMIN, MEANWHILE, ARE IN FACT FULL-FLEDGED SERAPHIM WHO MERELY TAKE ON THE APPEARANCE, AND THEREFORE THE ABILITIES, OF NORMIN, THE SAME AS THOSE SERAPHIM WHO TAKE THE FORMS OF ANIMALS.]

"That explains Bienfu and Grimoirh," Eizen remarked. "And, uh, what about Katz, what are they? And Turtlez?"

[**K**ATZ,**] **Kuksedra replied, [ARE STRANGE, ETHEREAL BEINGS FROM SOME OTHER DIMENSION - THEY SEEM TO TRANSCEND MANY DIFFERENT REALMS, BUT AS THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD **I** WAS BORN TO PROTECT, **I** KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THEM SAVE FOR THAT; GIVEN THAT THEY HOLD SOME REMNANTS OF THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM DUE TO THEIR TRANSCENDENCE, THEY CAN DO THE THINGS SERAPHIM CAN DO, THOUGH THEY ARE NOT THE SAME SORTS OF BEINGS. **T**URTLEZ, LIKEWISE, ARE FROM SOME OTHER UNIVERSE, THOUGH THEY SEEM LESS TRANSCENDENT THAN **K**ATZ, AND CANNOT MIMIC MOST SERAPH ABILITIES. **B**OTH CAME TO THIS REALM WHEN MY SISTER CAST ME OUT - THE WALLS BETWEEN DIMENSIONS WEAKENED WHEN SHE DID SO, AS A RESULT OF HER SEALING ME AWAY OUTSIDE OF SPACE AND TIME.]

"What _is_ the Heavenly Realm, exactly?" Eizen pressed. "You say it birthed you, and it's home for the seraphim, but it's not for humans…? I don't understand."

[**T**HE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM IS THE TRUE WORLD,] Kuksedra answered. [**I**T IS THE REALM OF THE GODS, THE REALM OF SOULS, THE ORIGIN OF ALL OF LIFE AND MORTALITY - THE SOULS OF HUMANS AND SERAPHIM ALIKE COME FROM THERE WHEN THEY ARE BORN. **I**T IS THE FORCE THAT CREATED MYSELF AND MY SISTER SO THAT WE WOULD MAINTAIN THE MORTAL WORLD'S BALANCE, THE SOURCE OF OUR BEINGS, OUR SOULS, OUR DIVINE DUTY. **I**T IS THE **C**REATOR…] Kuksedra's massive head thrashed, frustration radiating from his being. [**Y**OU DO NOT _UNDERSTAND_,] the dark god growled. [**P**ACT **K**EEPER, OPEN YOUR MIND, LET ME _SHOW_ YOU.]

The intrusive sensation of a tendril snaking its way into Eizen's brain pierced his skull, and he cried out and recoiled, trying to shut out the foreign influence.

[**O**PEN YOUR MIND TO ME, **P**ACT **K**EEPER,] Kuksedra repeated. [**I**T IS A SIMPLE CORRECTION TO FIX. **F**EAR NOT; **I** WILL NOT ALTER YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, MEMORIES, PERCEPTIONS, OR BELIEFS, **I** GIVE YOU MY WORD AS A PRIMAL DEITY.]

Even as Kuksedra spoke, the prodding sensation continued, and it was difficult not to block it; but something about the primal deity's affect gave Eizen the impression that, god of Darkness or not, Kuksedra wasn't the type to use trickery to get what he wanted. After debating with himself for a minute, the Shepherd gritted his teeth and let the probe reach into his being.

"_Agh_!" Eizen cried out at the brief, sharp pain of something in his mind being pulled apart and reattached somewhere else. "Ow, hey, what the-?! _Oh_!" he gasped as his rewired brain made the connection.

"What's going on?" Zaveid asked. "You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah," Eizen breathed, turning back to his seraphim, "I'm fine. Guys…the Heavenly Realm is the _Creator_." Realizing immediately that those words hadn't helped him any, he shook his head and started over. "So, you know how everyone used to believe that the Five Lords created the world?"

"Yeah," Zaveid said slowly. "But…it was these two, right? The First Shadow and the First Light?"

"No," Eizen explained, "it was the Heavenly Realm. This really is hard to explain, but…like, when you think of the force that created our world, you think of a person, right? Something with…with personality and thought? Don't think of it like that, think of the force that created the world as a _place_, a place that…reflects, and refracts, into…into something lesser. That's what the Heavenly Realm is to our world."

"Ohhh…! Oh?" Sahra responded, first in understanding, then in renewed confusion, tugging at her braid.

[**A**LL THAT WHICH IS COMES FROM THE **H**EAVENLY** R**EALM,] Kuksedra repeated. [**I**T IS THE TRUE WORLD, THE ORIGIN; ALL SOULS COME FROM THERE, YET NONE TRULY BELONG THERE. **N**O MORTALS LIVE WITHIN IT, SAVE THE SERAPHIM WHO FLED THERE TO HIDE FROM MALEVOLENCE; IT IS NOT A PLACE WHERE MORTALS ARE MEANT TO BE, THOUGH THE SERAPHIM, BEING NOT OF FLESH, TAKE TO THE ENVIRONMENT WELL ENOUGH, AND SO FALSELY BELIEVE IT TO BE THEIR HOME. **I** MYSELF HAVE NEVER SEEN THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM, NOR SHALL **I**.]

"Uh-huh," Sahra mused slowly. "Gotcha…I think. So, um…Hey, what about the Earthen Historia?" she questioned; presumably, she'd noticed Edna's ploy. "It didn't exist before you were sealed here because it doesn't have any records of you, but you talked about the earth's energy when you made seraphim…"

[**T**HE LIFEBLOOD OF THE MORTAL WORLD HAS ALWAYS FLOWED,] Kuksedra explained, [YET IT DID NOT GAIN THE MEANS TO RETAIN MEMORIES UNTIL WHAT WAS LEFT OF MY SISTER SANK INTO IT. **I**T IS NOT HER, AND DOES NOT KNOW WHAT SHE KNEW; IT IS ONLY A TRACE OF HER BEING, HER ABILITY TO REMEMBER, GRANTED TO THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE MORTAL WORLD WITH HER DEATH. **T**HUS, **I** AM FORGOTTEN.]

"Whoa!"

Eizen jumped at the distant cry, and he looked down to see Edna at the base of one of Kuksedra's massive claws, her umbrella upraised. She looked smaller than a speck of dust compared to one single dark talon, but she had reached him, and that was all that mattered.

"Hey everyone!" she called. "Take a look at this!"

She waved her umbrella, and Eizen saw, even from a distance, that it passed through Kuksedra's body as though the primal deity didn't exist at all. Edna retreated to rest within her vessel and then emerge again instead of walking all the way back to her allies, and when she manifested once more, she was smirking.

"No wonder you talk so much," she remarked to Kuksedra; "you can't do anything else. You don't have a physical form, do you? There's no way you can actually hit us."

Everyone gasped, understanding the implications of this.

"Normally, I wouldn't estimate our odds of fighting off a primal deity as being too good," Zaveid mused aloud, "but if he can't hit us, that means we've got nothing to worry about - we can just chip away at him with the flames of purification until he bites the dust!"

[**B**UT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?] Kuksedra asked. [**D**ON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?]

"I understand that I was right," Eizen stated; "it's like you said, all things in nature need both Light and Dark in order to be whole. I get that you're mad at your sister and don't care anymore, but my answer is correct, and I will still defend it!"

[**I** WAS NOT ASKING YOU,] Kuksedra chuckled wickedly, and Eizen was immediately on guard. [**N**O…YOU HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT REJECTS MY BLESSING WITH IMMUTABLE RESOLVE, AS HAVE YOUR **S**UB **L**ORDS - TO ENTREAT YOU OR THEM WOULD BE FUTILE, **I** AM AWARE OF THAT. **M**Y QUESTION WAS FOR YOUR **P**RIME **L**ORD, THE **S**ON OF THE **W**IND **I** HAVE WATCHED SUFFER FOR SO MANY CENTURIES.]

Everyone turned to Zaveid, who looked up at the primal deity with a blank expression. "I don't follow," he said coldly.

[**Y**ES,] Kuksedra said, [YOU DO. **Y**OU KNOW, BETTER THAN ANYONE HERE, THE AGONY OF MY SISTER'S **L**IGHT, THE PAIN HER INFLUENCE BRINGS UPON THE WORLD - YOU HAVE FELT IT, FOR SO LONG, AND FOUGHT IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAD. **B**UT UNLIKE MOST OF THOSE WHO MUST CONTEND WITH THAT ANGUISH, YOU CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED ITS SOURCE AND SOUGHT TO DESTROY IT. **I**T TAKES LIGHT TO SEE THOSE AROUND YOU, AND THUS CARE FOR THEM; SO LONG AS MY SISTER'S **L**IGHT BURNS WITHIN YOU, YOU WILL SUFFER, AND SO YOU TRIED TO SNUFF IT OUT.]

Zaveid stumbled back a step, his eyes wide - the same look he'd worn whenever his defenses broke down during their journey to gather the spiritual powers of the elements. This time, though, Eizen understood exactly what was going on, and he felt a cold pit open in his stomach.

[**F**OR ALL YOUR NOBLE EFFORTS,] Kuksedra went on, almost crooning, [YOU FAILED, DIDN'T YOU? **N**O MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORKED AT IT, OR HOW HARD YOU TRIED TO PRETEND OTHERWISE, THE **L**IGHT OF YOUR BEING WAS NEVER SMOTHERED COMPLETELY. **I**NDEED, YOU CANNOT SMOTHER IT YOURSELF, NOT ENTIRELY, THAT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR POWER. **B**UT NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE…IT IS WELL WITHIN MINE. **I** CAN DO WHAT YOU COULD NOT, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND, IF YOU OPEN YOURSELF TO MY BLESSING HERE AND NOW. **S**O STOP FIGHTING IT, AND LET ME IN; IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO ATTAIN THAT WHICH YOU CHOSE TO PURSUE SO LONG AGO. **J**OIN US, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND, AND BECOME THE MAN YOU HAVE ALWAYS WISHED TO BE.]

These words brought Eizen straight back to Lastonbell, when the decapitated head of General Donovan had spoken through malevolent flames, offering the wind seraph similar entreaties. But no, Eizen realized, that hadn't actually been Donovan, Donovan had been dead by then; the voice had been Kuksedra speaking through the blessing Niko had granted her general on the primal deity's behalf.

Dark tendrils snaked through the skypulse from the surface of Kuksedra's body, heading straight for Zaveid, who raised his arms defensively as they curled around him. The wind seraph struggled against the bonds, but they twisted across his skin like shadows of snakes.

"Zaveid!" Lucine yelped, stepping forward.

Suddenly, walls of black fire erupted between Zaveid and his comrades; Eizen could still see his uncle, but there was no reaching him. He turned, and saw Niko with her crimson claws against the blackness on which they stood, dark fire pouring from her and along the lines cutting Zaveid off from his allies.

"You will not interfere," Niko hissed. "This is my uncle's decision to make, and his alone."

"Decision?" Edna repeated coldly. "It's not a decision." She turned back to where Zaveid was fighting the tendrils, and Eizen heard emotion bleed into her voice as she called to their Prime Lord. "Zaveid, tell him to shove it! All of this is his doing in the first place! He's the reason we're here now, he caused all the world's suffering!"

"He did no such thing," Niko spat. "Suffering only comes when people resist my lord's blessing; his aim is to _end_ this world's suffering, and there would be none if fools like you would stop fighting him. With his power, everyone's suffering can end…including that of my poor, broken uncle."

[**I** HAVE WATCHED YOUR PAIN,] Kuksedra said, [A PAIN **I** KNOW ALL TOO WELL. **O**PEN YOURSELF TO ME, AND **I** WILL FREE YOU FROM IT FOREVER.]

"Don't listen to him!" Edna shouted. "Don't you get it?!" The earth seraph's voice, usually so empty of feeling, cracked. "He's the reason you had to watch her die, just like he's the reason I had to kill my brother! Zaveid,_ don't listen to him_!"

[**N**O,] Kuksedra agreed, [DO NO LISTEN. **L**OOK.]

The darkness that had been wrapping around Zaveid redirected, homing in on his orange eyes and piercing them. Zaveid cried out, struggling even harder…then gasped and went very still. Slowly, his hands dropped to his sides, his expression slackening with what Eizen could only interpret as awe.

[**Y**OU SEE WHAT **I** CAN OFFER YOU,] Kuksedra said, his tone gentle, almost loving. [**I** CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER PRAYED FOR. **N**O LONGER SHALL YOU SUFFER, NO LONGER SHALL YOU BE BROKEN OR EMPTY - NO, YOU WILL BE _WHOLE_, WHOLLY MINE. **Y**OUR **L**IGHT LETS YOU SEE THOSE AROUND YOU, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND; IN THE **D**ARK, THERE WILL ONLY BE YOURSELF, YOU WILL BE BEHOLDEN TO NO ONE BUT YOU. **Y**OU WILL KNOW NO REGRETS, NO LOSS, NO DEATH - YOU SHALL LIVE FOREVER, PERFECT AND PURE, WITHOUT ANY CARES. **S**INCE YOU ARE HERE, IN MY PRESENCE, **I** CAN MAKE YOU MINE WITHOUT COSTING YOU YOUR LIFE, YOUR SANITY OR SENSE OF SELF. **Y**OU WILL NOT BE A DRAGON; YOU WILL ONLY BE PERFECT.]

"The nerve!" Lucine exclaimed, turning up to glare at Kuksedra. "You're taking advantage of a man's pain and deepest regrets just to further your own agenda? I would have thought a god would be above such underhanded means!"

"Underhanded?" Niko snickered. "Please. Things like honor are human inventions, nothing more. My lord might give as he takes, but that's because it's his nature, not because of some sense of honor. He and I will both do whatever we must to achieve our aims."

"Zaveid," Lucine whimpered, her eyes shining as she turned back to the wind seraph who had dropped to his knees, no longer fighting Kuksedra's influence, which thickened until it began to obscure him from view. "Zaveid, please, don't do this…"

"What are you seeing?" Edna asked Lucine.

"Whatever this dark god is offering him, he…he feels like it's a chance to lay down his burdens," Lucine replied, and Eizen suddenly remembered what his water seraph's blessing was. She shook her head, white curls bouncing across her shoulders as she choked on what sounded like a sob. "But this isn't the way!" she called to Zaveid. "This isn't the way to find peace! Zaveid, please, don't give this monster what he wants, it's not worth it!"

Zaveid didn't respond. He just knelt, surrounded by malevolence, unmoving…not fighting. Not fighting the entity that had cost the world so much. Eizen's well-traveled uncle, who had seen so much destruction caused by malevolence throughout the Ages, knelt before its creator, his head bowed. He hadn't turned, not yet, but he didn't seem to be resisting all that much either.

[**I**T IS NOT A CURSE,] Kuksedra told Zaveid. [**D**ARKNESS WILL GRANT YOU ALL YOU'VE EVER WISHED FOR. **Y**OU HAVE SUFFERED ONLY BECAUSE YOU'VE FOUGHT IT; YOU NEED NOT SUFFER ANY LONGER. **L**ET ME END YOUR PAIN.]

"Uncle, you're the Prime Lord!" Eizen called desperately. "If you turn into a hellion, the rest of us won't have any means of fighting malevolence! It would be the same as if _I_ turned!"

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra agreed. [**M**Y BLESSING IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WILL MERELY TAKE FOR YOURSELF, BUT SOMETHING YOU WILL GRANT TO ALL THE WORLD, FOR NOTHING WILL STAND BETWEEN MY CHAMPION AND THE MORTAL WORLD THEN. **B**UT WHY WOULD THAT BE A BAD THING? **W**HY SHOULD YOU ALONE BE GIVEN THIS GIFT? **A**LL THE WORLD SHALL LIVE WITHOUT EVER SUFFERING AS YOU HAVE SUFFERED - THAT IS WHAT **I** SHALL GRANT IN RETURN FOR MY REVENGE, FOR ALL MY EXCHANGES ARE FAIR. **C**OME NOW, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. **E**MBRACE ME, AND YOU SHALL BE GRANTED ETERNAL PEACE, IMMUNITY FROM ALL OF LIFE'S CRUEL, SICK JOKES, FOREVERMORE!]

More malevolence swirled around Zaveid's kneeling figure, and Eizen and his Sub Lords could only look on helplessly through the dark flames at the writhing blackness that soon blocked the wind seraph from view. Eizen knew they all hated what Kuksedra was doing, hated what he was, even if Sahra was still silent, presumably still trying to come to terms with the answers she'd finally been given after centuries of asking; but there was nothing they could do, and nothing else they could say. _Please, uncle,_ Eizen prayed silently. _Please, say something…_

"It's true."

All of a sudden, Zaveid's voice came to them through the layers of malevolence, his tone low and resigned.

"Everything you're saying is true," Zaveid said. "You're right, I did try to destroy the Light of my soul, because I knew that as long as I had Light, I would be in pain…and you're right when you say that I failed. That no matter what I did, some stubborn shred of the man I once was refused to die." Movement from within the darkness seemed to suggest Zaveid tilting his head back. "I see what you're offering me," Eizen's uncle breathed. "I see it…and what you're showing me really is everything I've ever dreamed of. No - it's more! You're not just offering to end my pain, you're offering me my one and only chance to change my fate. I knew that nothing awaited me but a lifetime of suffering followed by eternal damnation in hell, and you're offering me a way out. My pain would end, and I would never die…it's the most a guy like me could ever ask for. I see what you're offering me, Kuksedra. I see what you're offering me…and it's _glorious_!"

Triumph radiated from the dark god as Eizen's blood ran cold. Darkness began to permeate the spot where Zaveid knelt, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"But, you know…"

The sudden, additional words from within the writhing blackness shocked everyone.

"…I can't help but notice there's something you're _not_ offering me," Zaveid went on.

[**W**HAT?]

"For all your fancy talk," Zaveid said, "you're not offering to make me happy. And there's a difference between being happy and just not being in pain - I know there is, because before I lost everything…before I gave up…I was happy, once."

More movement stirred within the blot of darkness as Zaveid pushed himself to his feet.

"Now, me, I don't deserve happiness," Zaveid continued, a shrug in his voice; "I gave up that right when I gave up my soul. But it ain't just about me, is it? I'm the Prime Lord - if I fall, the world falls with me…and, well, the fact of the matter is, there are people in the world who _do_ deserve happiness. It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

"Uncle," Eizen breathed, hardly daring to hope.

"So, even though I'm a scoundrel, a sinner, a coward, and a bastard, even though this is my one and only chance to change my fate," Zaveid said; "even though I'd give almost anything for what you're offering me, and even though, if it was only my life at stake, I'd take you up on your offer in a heartbeat…despite all that…you know what?"

His voice faded, and Eizen watched, scarcely able to breathe. After a moment, little flashes of light appeared in the dark blob enveloping his uncle, just a few, and then more, until suddenly there was an explosion of white fire, all blasting out of Zaveid as he spread his arms to push the darkness away, destroying even the malevolent walls conjured by Niko, wearing that same roguish grin Eizen knew and loved.

"I'm gonna fight you anyway!" Zaveid called to the dark god savagely.

[**N**O!]

Still grinning, Zaveid took a stance, mana glowing under his skin. "Torrents of wind, forces of nature…!" he intoned.

[**W**HAT ARE YOU DOING?!]

"Horizon Storm!" Zaveid called, unleashing a blast of mana that opened a gate of wind and earth, drawing a massive beam of energy laced with the flames of purification towards him. The seraphic arte had always seemed huge to Eizen during normal fights, but was barely the thinnest thread against the primal deity it was aimed at; still, when the power reached as far as Kuksedra's body, the dark dragon lurched and screeched - more with surprise than pain, Eizen thought, but the important thing to note was that Kuksedra _felt_ the attack.

"Now, maybe I'm a fool, as well as a scoundrel," Zaveid said, taking a step forward as everyone turned back to see him still grinning, "but if there's one thing in this world I know I don't want, it's for anyone else to end up like me. You wanna make everyone else in the world as lonely and empty as you and I are?" He spread his arms wide. "You're gonna have to get through me to do it!" he declared.

"And me!" Lucine spoke up, drawing her spear.

"All of us!" Sahra added, unsheathing her daggers.

Eizen turned to Kuksedra. "We won't let you destroy what it means to be alive!" he called, pulling Stormhowl from its scabbard.

"That's right," Edna concurred, brandishing her umbrella.

"Whatcha gonna do now, huh?!" Zaveid jeered, taking his place by Eizen's side. "Your trump card's gone, and you can't fight us without a body. And if you were thinking Niko could protect you, well, I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but she armatized with a white-horned dragon and we still whupped her ass!" He lifted his hands, ready and eager. "So say your prayers, ya big, sorry bastard! Once we're done with you, you're going to the same hell I'm meant for! And who knows?" he added with a nasty chuckle. "Maybe, with a little luck, Phoenia will be waiting there to welcome you."

Kuksedra threw his head back and screeched, and for just a moment, Eizen's heart soared…only for him to be shot down when he realized the primal deity's sound was one of laughter - laughter that was mirrored by the deranged, maniacal hysterics coming from his champion, Niko.

[**Y**OU ARE INDEED A FOOL, **S**ON OF THE **W**IND,] Kuksedra stated, still radiating with mirth. [**Y**OU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY OFFER.]

"It's true that my lord and master doesn't have a physical form of his own," Niko snickered. Her grin widened, and she added, "But you know what he _does_ have?"

[**I** HAVE,] Kuksedra picked up, [WHAT YOUR KIND WOULD CALL…] His glowing white eyes turned to Niko. […A VESSEL.]

"Niko," Eizen whispered. He raised his voice and stepped forward, frantic. "Niko, wait, stop, think about this-"

"I have, brother," Niko sneered. "I've thought about it every moment since the night I first heard the voice of the First Shadow. And as he told me the following day, when I destroyed your predecessor, in order for our world to be made pure at last, those who refuse to listen to us…must be destroyed."

[**D**O YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE POWER TO FIGHT A PRIMAL DEITY GIVEN FLESH?] Kuksedra asked the five heroes. [**I**F YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN PUT UP EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE, YOUR FOOLISHNESS FAR SURPASSES EVEN MY WILDEST ESTIMATIONS.]

"Shall we, my lord?" Niko smiled up at her master.

[**C**ALL IT, MY CHAMPION,] Kuksedra responded. [**L**ET US BATTLE TOGETHER, AND DESTROY THESE FOOLS WHO WOULD KNOWINGLY DEFEND THE **L**IGHT THAT BETRAYED THEM.]

"Niko," Eizen began as his sister raised her crimson claws, cupping her palms and spreading her talons to the sky like the petals of some hellish flower.

There were so many things he wanted to say. He wanted to beg her not to do this, to stop before she did something she couldn't take back. He wanted to tell her all the reasons why she was wrong, make her see that Kuksedra had been driven mad by his own sister's betrayal and wasn't thinking clearly. He wanted to tell her that he still loved her, that she was still his sister and their whole family was waiting for them back home. But when their eyes met, he was only able to muster one, soft, desperate word:

"Please."

Niko smirked. "Say _your_ prayers, brother," she told him.

Then she threw back her head and spoke a single word, a word no mortal tongue could shape - but hers was not mortal, it had been twisted and reformed by the blessing of one of the twin primal deities, and could utter the word that Eizen could not. The sound of it was everything and nothing, incomprehensible but clear, barely audible even as it grabbed Eizen and shook him like the noise of an explosion; hearing it spoken aloud, Eizen understood exactly why he could not, would never be able to, speak it - it was a word of unfathomable power, a word that embodied half of all of existence, a word that spoke of endings and shadows and eternal sleep…a word that, interestingly enough, would not have seemed so horrific, had its utterance not spelled their doom:

"_KUKSEDRA_!"

* * *

***"kook-SAY-drah" - the "oo" in "kook" is the same as in "loot" or "tool", NOT as in "cook". This, along with his counterpart's name, are in fact a butchered reference to something, but as that something isn't remotely Tales-related, or even video-game-related, I don't expect anyone to pick up on it. For the record, when I looked into the origins of the thing I am referencing with this name, I discovered that it might possibly have been inspired by the same folklore that inspired Innominat; referring to the malak who became Innominat as having once been female in this chapter is my nod to that possible inspiration, even though my Kuksedra is male.**

* * *

**Behold just how convoluted of lore I had to create in order for everything we're ever told about seraphim and the Heavenly Realm throughout both games to make sense! While I know this wasn't Bamco's intention, they directly contradict the intention they tried to imply multiple times throughout both Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria, so this is where I had to go to make it all fit: a full-on creation story. Sorry if it feels out of left field, but this is truly what I've been building up to all along. Please don't at me. Also, I can now tell you: if Tales of Corazoria was a game, its icon (like Foselos for Graces, and the mark of the Shepherd for Zestiria) would be of a white dragon and a black dragon encircling (and, when animation is possible, orbiting) a globe.**


	25. We Can't Stop Now

***IMPORTANT A/N: I've gotten complaints about my design choices for Kuksedra's dialogue, that it's annoying and difficult to read; I apologize for the inconvenience, but that is actually kind of the point. The idea is that Kuksedra is eons older than the inherently flawed concept of language, and is also a higher power that doesn't need language the way we do; the trouble is, mortal minds are so dependent on the concept of language that they need Kuksedra's messages to be conveyed in words in order to understand them, and so have to translate what he's trying to convey into imperfect words. What results is an extremely subjective approximation of what Kuksedra is trying to say, along with the splitting headache that comes with trying to comprehend something mortal brains aren't meant to be able to comprehend (like infinity). FUN FACT: Of the five heroes listening to Kuksedra talk, no two of them heard the exact same words - the gist is the same, but the specific words used were different for each of them, depending on their individual personalities and perspectives on the world, because the entity himself is not in fact using words. So yeah, the fact that he's kind of annoying to read, that's intentional. Apologies again for the inconvenience and the headaches, and I guarantee there will be no more monologues from Kuksedra from here on out.**

* * *

Darkness poured from Kuksedra's massive form and into Niko as the sound of his unspeakable name filled the skypulse, and she rose up to meet him, swelling and morphing as the primal deity merged with her physical body and made it his own. The process would clearly take a while, as a testament to just how incomprehensibly massive Kuksedra's being was; Zaveid quickly stepped forward and launched a purification-laced wind arte at the forming monstrosity, but it shredded and dissolved into nothing long before it reached Niko.

"Such power," the Prime Lord gasped. "I can't get anywhere near her."

"Well, duh," Edna said dully; "the flames of purification burn malevolence, but not even their creator was designed with malevolence's actual source in mind." Out of the corner of his eye, Eizen saw her shrug. "Well, we're screwed. Nice knowing you guys."

"Don't say that, Edna!" Eizen admonished, turning around to face all of his comrades as they clustered together. "There's got to be a way through this."

All four seraphim made similar grimaces, the faces of people who each didn't want to be the one to crush someone's spirit but felt there was nothing else to say.

"Look how far we've come," Eizen told them firmly, taking a hand off of Stormhowl briefly to gesture at their surroundings. "We're in the skypulse, where no humans or seraphim have ever been; we have answers even the Five Lords don't have, we know things even the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm don't know. We've found the actual _source_ of malevolence itself, we know why it still happens and we can stop it if we destroy its master. We have its master right in front of us!" He shook his head. "We've made it this far, guys; we can't stop now!"

"We've made it far enough to know that we're up against a primal deity who could easily crush any Great Lord if given a body," Edna pointed out. "In other words, we've made it far enough to know that we're screwed."

"So what, we just give up?!" Eizen countered. "What good has giving up ever done, for any of us?! If we despair, we're just handing the world to Kuksedra on a silver platter!"

"But would that be such a bad thing?"

Surprisingly, the question came from Sahra, who had been mostly silent since Kuksedra's story had concluded, and was currently staring at the black crystal ground, toying with her braid thoughtfully, her green eyes brimming with sadness.

"Humans were never supposed to exist," she said softly; "they were abominations, created when a primal deity betrayed her own duties. And seraphim…they only came about because the protector gods were fighting, or at least their precursors did. All of this…I mean, it _is_ all because the First Light committed several crimes. Would it really be so bad for the First Shadow to have his way with the world? Maybe he'd…do better than we think."

"A world full of only Darkness would be hell," Zaveid stated firmly, and everyone turned to him to see his orange eyes glinting with certainty. "It's like His Royal Darkness said, it takes light to see the people around you. If no one ever saw anyone else and just did whatever they wanted, they would destroy each other without a second thought. Even I, sinner though I may be, have always had _some_ boundaries, lines I've never crossed; if I'd agreed to Kuksedra's proposal, I wouldn't care about those boundaries anymore. Now expand that concept to every single individual life form on the planet, plus all the power hellions have compared to normal living things. That's the kinda world he would make."

"So everyone would just kill each other?" Lucine asked.

"No," Eizen answered for Zaveid, "and that's the worst part. Maotelus said there's a veil between life and death that no known power can transcend, but…something about Kuksedra's true name tells me _he'd_ be able to transcend it, that that's kind of his job; he would make sure no one crossed that threshold, no one would ever die. So everyone would just tear each other apart without being able to kill each other…it would be worse than hell. Destruction would be the law, with no end." He gave Sahra a meaningful look. "No weary bones would ever find peaceful rest, ever again."

Sahra closed her eyes and nodded, acknowledging the signature of the guild that had been born from the one she had founded. "You're right," she sighed, "that would be…the worst thing. Maybe Kuksedra thinks he can make a better world, but if that's really the world he aims to create, I don't want that."

"For the record, I don't think he _believes_ that's the world he's making," Zaveid said; "he really thinks he's got it all figured out, and can make a good world without Light. But he's kinda gone crazy out of rage and grief, and even when everything goes to hell, he wouldn't realize it - he'd still see it as better than what it is now, and nothing would ever tell him he was wrong. So…there won't be any ending it, once it's done."

"Then let's stop it!" Eizen encouraged. "Come on, there has to be a way."

"Like what?" Edna asked drily.

"I…" Eizen shrugged helplessly. "I'm open to suggestions?"

Everyone frowned thoughtfully, and Eizen assessed the situation as best he could, but there didn't seem to be any real solution. How exactly was one supposed to fight a primal deity given physical form? Even the God Blade was just a mortal creation, it couldn't kill a _literal_ god…

"Zaveid?"

Eizen perked up at the sound of Lucine's voice, and she flushed as everyone turned to her in sudden hope.

"I-I don't have any ideas," she said apologetically, wincing, before turning back to her Prime Lord. "I just…I just wanted to say…it was really noble, what you did back there, rejecting Kuksedra's offer like that," she managed shyly. "I could feel what it cost you, it took a lot of willpower. And…I want you to know that…I don't think you're a scoundrel, or a coward, or a bastard - a man who was any of those things wouldn't have had the strength to make the choice you did." Her blush deepened, her eyes brimming with - love, Eizen realized, she was looking at Zaveid with pure, heartfelt love. "I…I'm honored that I ever got to know you, as little time as we may have had," she finished.

Several emotions crossed Zaveid's face as he met Lucine's tender gaze. "Oh, don't you start talking like that, angel," he told her, shaking his head. "Don't act like this is our last stand. We'll find a way out of this, we always do." The wind seraph shifted uncomfortably for a moment, then abruptly reached out and grabbed Lucine's hand. "Hey," he murmured, hesitantly but firmly, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

These were words Zaveid would never have said - to _anyone_ \- unless he really and truly believed he was about to die; Eizen could feel the despair in his voice, and he knew Lucine and probably Edna could as well.

"That's a nice sentiment and all," Sahra remarked, folding her arms behind her head, "but I'm not hearing any ideas about how to follow through on it."

"Well, do _you_ have any suggestions?" Zaveid snapped.

"Nope," Sahra answered frankly. "Honestly, even if Eizen armatized with all four of us at once, it still probably wouldn't be enough."

"Armatized with-!" Eizen gasped, turning to Edna, and he saw her own eyes were wide as they met his, understanding flashing between them. "Sahra…that might actually be _exactly_ what we need to do!"

"Huh?" Sahra asked.

"A Mana Wheel," Edna told her comrades. "A hypothetical arte created by concentrating multiple forces that are both complimentary and contradictory into the same specific spot, which would then generate enough power to overwhelm a Great Lord. Mikleo talked about it once."

"My mother created a Mana Wheel when she sealed Innominat away," Eizen picked up, "because she was part of Innominat, and used the power that that gave her to trap him."

"But the four elements combined would work the same way, since they have a cyclical relationship," Edna added. "I used the same principle to save the holy tree in Marlind - it wasn't a full Mana Wheel, but it did produce enough power to destroy a curse that spanned the extent of the tree's roots."

"So the power a full Mana Wheel would generate might just be enough," Eizen concluded. "And if I armatize with all four of you at once, that should result in a Mana Wheel, since you aren't just sharing a vessel while living in different places in me but actually all sharing the same exact point in space."

"Armatize with all of us at once?" Lucine repeated. "Is that safe?"

"Forget safe, is that even _possible_?" Sahra asked.

"It'll have to be," Eizen stated, and he turned back around to look up at Niko, who hadn't finished taking in all of Kuksedra yet. _We have time._ "I'm gonna do it," he declared, planting Stormhowl point-down in the crystalized malevolence that made up the ground they stood on before turning back around. He eyed his comrades, thinking about the implications of what he was about to do carefully. "I can't say all four of your true names simultaneously," he finally said, "so Zaveid, I'm going to start with you, since you're the Prime Lord. Next will be Lucine-"

"Why Lucine?" Zaveid asked, shifting to move in front of the water seraph in what was clearly an unconscious gesture.

"Her element doesn't conflict with yours one way or the other, so holding both in the same place will be less dangerous than if earth or fire came after you," Eizen explained. He glanced between the other two seraphim, and couldn't help but base his next choice on his aversion to hurting his family. "Sahra will go third, if we make it that far," he decided, "and then Edna will join last. Okay?"

"Worth a shot," Edna shrugged.

"Yes," Lucine nodded; "we are left with no better recourse."

"I'm in," Sahra agreed.

"Let's do it," Zaveid concurred.

"Right," Eizen sighed. He took a deep breath, lifted his left hand, and called out, "Fylk Zahdeya!"

By now, the sensation of merging with his wind seraph uncle was familiar to Eizen, but this time he focused on the way the wind mana that gave Zaveid form meshed with his own flesh…and as the merge completed, he noticed a problem.

"This isn't going to work," he said right away. "Not like this, at least."

_Why not?_ Zaveid asked.

"Because we aren't completely as one," Eizen replied; "your form and mine are the same, but we're still two separate people…and the problem is, I'm not the one who has to armatize with the others; _you_ need to armatize with them, to make a Mana Wheel."

_So…?_

"So we need to combine our minds, not just our bodies," Eizen said. "You need to be as one with me, Zaveid. Say it with me. As one. As one. As one."

Zaveid took up the chant, if uncertainly. _As one,_ he said, _as one, as one…_

"As one…"

_As one…_

"As one…"

_As one…_

_As…one…_

Suddenly, Eizen's head filled with all the knowledge and experience of a being more than two thousand years old; a moment later, he was no longer Eizen, he was both Eizen and Zaveid, and Zaveid was both Zaveid and him, they were one person, two souls as one entity. Together, they lifted their left hand again.

"Melphis Amekia!" they shouted.

Just like that, Lucine was with them, her power trying to force the wind mana out of the way so water mana could take its place; Eizen and Zaveid both held on, trying to take her in without disrupting their own existence. _With us, Lucine,_ they told the water seraph as she struggled to mesh with them. _As one. As one._

_As one,_ she also chanted, her tone fearful. _As one. As one…as one…_

And she was there, melting into the shared consciousness of two that was now three, water mana and wind mana occupying the same space. As predicted, the two elements didn't conflict, and so coexisted, vibrating in peaceful harmony.

They raised their left hand again. "Vuswos Kakwa!" the three shouted with one voice.

Sahra came to them, fire mana trying to shove its way into where water and wind hummed together. _As one, Sahra,_ said the three united beings, _as one with us. As one. As one._

_As one,_ she joined in, certain and strong. _As one, as one, as one, as one!_

Fire flowed into them, taking its rightful place between wind and water, as the fire seraph's mind and being joined the three who were one, making them four. A moment later, however, the shared body began to twitch and spasm - water wanted to flow into fire, and fire wanted to flow into wind, but wind had nowhere to go, and the stuttering jarred them as they struggled to maintain their being. Though it was difficult, they forced their left hand into the air one last time.

"Hephsin Yulind!"

When Edna came to them, she almost joined automatically, earth mana being all that the shared body now lacked; but though her essence merged of its own accord, her mind, stoic and steadfast, didn't amalgamate with them so easily.

_With us, Edna,_ said the four together._ As one. As one._

_As one,_ Edna agreed reluctantly. _As one, as one, as one, as one…_

_…__as…one…_

Five were one, and just like that, it was done. Earth slotted into place, and the Mana Wheel was complete: four elements, and one physical being containing them all. Immediately, it began to turn, water to fire, fire to wind, wind to earth, and earth to water, over and over and over, spinning quickly, mana building fast, amplifying with each passing moment, stronger than the sum of its parts, stronger than any of the Five Lords, stronger than-

"_AAAAAAAAAAH_!"

Pain exploded through their shared body, a body that was not meant to contain such power, there was too much mana, and they screamed together as the Mana Wheel kept turning, growing, tearing them apart from within, unstoppable and uncontrollable; they desperately tried to contain the power, but it would not be held still, it grew and grew and grew and there was nothing they could do about it. Before long, it would kill them, there was no other possible outcome.

_It doesn't matter if it kills us,_ came the thought, from one or several of them, if not all, it was impossible to say; _as long as we destroy Kuksedra first, that's all that's important. We have to do what we came here to do, no matter the sacrifice._

With what little control they could muster, they turned around and reached, slowly, painfully, for the hilt of the sword embedded in the ground they stood on, wrapping their shared hands around the hilt…

…and the God Blade responded.

Mana poured into the sword, and it soaked up all the power eagerly, easing the burden on the mortal body that couldn't contain it. Energy flowed into the blade, filled it, then flowed back into them, but even in doing that, it was no longer destructive, instead entering a cycle - sword, body, sword, body, even as more and more mana came from the turning of the wheel. A memory arose from somewhere in their shared consciousness, of maintaining a conveyor belt of mana to purify a tree at an earthpulse point: the power generated could not be held in place, but so long as it had somewhere to go, it could be channeled and used. With Stormhowl acting as a conduit, this power, power that far outmatched any of the Five Lords, could be controlled. Even so, though, it was far more power than a regular mortal body could contain, that body was simply too small.

So, it got bigger.

Mana filled the spaces between physical fibers and expanded, from the skin all the way down to the bones, and they grew, expanding, transforming into a giant vessel that could use the Mana Wheel safely.

As their new being finished reforming, five minds opened one pair of eyes and looked up, to see that Niko and Kuksedra, too, had finished merging. What stood before them now was a massive dark dragon, no longer incomprehensible to mortal eyes; light glinted at its eyes and teeth, reddish light, but the scales were solid and black, even as malevolence rose off of them like smoke. Compared to this primal being given flesh - which was surely much smaller than Kuksedra was normally - the five united heroes were about as big as a normal human was compared to a normal dragon. As the shared consciousness took in the monstrosity, armatized Kuksedra opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of black fire, clearly meaning to wipe them all out in one moment. They pulled Stormhowl from the crystalized ground and raised it; it also had grown to massive size, glowing white with raw power that moved through it, the conduit still taking and giving as power flowed to it and back. As the black fire bore down on them, that power flowed outward into a shield, and it blocked the malevolent flames, which dissipated harmlessly to the side, not coming anywhere near them.

"WHAT?!"

The assault ended, and the five shifted from their defensive pose. At last, they faced off, reddish eyes meeting a being made more of mana than flesh, a Mana Wheel given consciousness.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" cried the primal deity through his own vessel, the words both of sound and of mind.

Five heroes united tightened their grip on the hilt of the armatized blade. "In light or in darkness," they declared, all their voices speaking as one, "_we will not fail_!"

Words served no further purpose here; the two entities charged at each other, and the final fight for the soul of the earth itself began.*

Somewhere within the shared consciousness was knowledge of how to fight with a two-handed sword, and that knowledge was shared by all of them now as they dove into battle, swinging the massive, glowing weapon at the physical manifestation of a primal deity, using moves that balanced deadly precision and grace with devastating strength and speed. In response, the monster lashed its tail, swung its claws, butted its head and snapped its jaws, black fire trailing behind its every movement, black fire that stung briefly whenever it touched the armatized five before it was burned away. Similarly, armatized Stormhowl left trails of light in its wake that the beast's body burned away, hopefully after dealing some small amount of damage likewise. Kuksedra roared through the mouth Niko gave him, and in his voice, there was also Niko, her fury, her passion. It was a battle of hearts and wills, a battle of ideals, a battle of gods. Within the shared body of the five, one of the shared consciousnesses seemed to carry a hunger for battle that made every blow a thrill; with each strike they landed on the dark dragon, the Mana Wheel seemed to be forced to spin faster for a moment, producing even more mana.

And the Mana Wheel _did_ turn, generating more and more mana, mana that slowly filled its massive vessel, even as big as they were. Somewhere in their minds, a realization came that they were still at risk of being consumed and torn apart by the growing energy if it got out of hand, and they leapt back and swung the glowing blade they wielded, trying to cast out some of the power. A bit of it was flung from them and flew at the dark god in a massive saber, and the dragon roared as it was blasted by pure, unfathomable energy. Still, the monster kept coming, determined to destroy this last obstacle between it and a world without Light.

More and more, the five became one, and it was as though they all had fought using the Rangetsu style their whole lives as they leapt out of the way of the monster's blows. When another blast of dark fire came for them, they lifted the sword as a shield to block, and the black flames ate away at the power pouring out of them to keep them safe - if that malevolent burn kept up long enough, it might have pierced through to them, but Kuksedra didn't seem to be able to muster enough black fire at once. Still, they tried to dodge when they could, keep the power building, filling their reserves.

Light flashed, darkness exploded, every motion would have been enough to destroy an island back on the planet the heroes had come from. One or more of them wondered if any of this was visible to the people below, if any mortals could look at the sky and see the battle being waged over their fate as the ancient war between gods began anew. Slowly, the champion of Light and the embodiment of Darkness chipped away at each other, each desperate to bring about their own end to the cycle that had cursed the world for tens of thousands of years.

Neither gave any quarter at first, but then, within the shared consciousness, a question arose: _What if we gather all the power we can, then unleash it all at once?_ It was an idea that might just put an end to the battle, and they started to conserve their strength, striking and dodging, blocking only when they had to. Energy grew, mana filled them, and they held onto it, even as it began to burn them, their very essence consumed by raw, burning power, power no living thing was ever meant to know. _Not yet,_ they thought, _not yet, hold it, just a little longer…_

Finally, as they evaded another swipe of a black tail, they reached their maximum capacity for mana, any more and it would destroy them.

"_As one_!" they shouted.

A domain froze time, and they lifted their sword over their shoulder and sheathed it in the scabbard that had also grown.

"_We call upon the base elements of nature_," they intoned: "_the water that flows with nurturing peace; the fire that burns with unquavering passion; the wind that blows freely and can never be tethered; the earth that holds steadfast and firm through the ages_."

Each element, as it was named, arose from within their burning body, and four lights - blue, red, green, and yellow - swirled around them. An upcurrent lifted them high above their foe, and they reached their hands up; with the elements dancing along their fingers, they speared their way through the very fabric of the skypulse, through the mortal world, and straight into the Heavenly Realm, light burning their fingertips.

"_We call upon the flames of Heaven_," they declared, "_the Light that shall burn through all Darkness, from the beginning of time until its end, and will never be smothered_."

With all the strength of a fully-charged Mana Wheel, they pulled the rip in the fabric of reality wide open. Searing light poured out of the split and onto them, and they pushed it wider, planting their mana-forged palms against the edges as they put their back into it, then adding their feet as they tore the rift open even further. Rather than risk looking at the power they were unleashing, they kept their back to the incandescence, opening their eyes to look down on the black figure far below.

"_In the name of the deceased primal deity_!" they shouted.

Their eyes met the gaze of the dark dragon, and a blessing that had joined their shared existence immediately picked up on all the emotions behind Kuksedra's expression: pain, wonder, fear, remorse, rage, hatred, sorrow, longing, and so many others. But those didn't matter now, not when Heaven's power was filling them, their body merely a lens that would concentrate and direct it. As they unleashed the full blast of Heaven's wrath, they screamed,

"_FINAL LIGHT_!"

White-hot, unfathomable energy burst through them in a beam, launched directly at Kuksedra. The black beast screamed as it was struck in the chest, thrown onto its back and pinned as scorching energy blasted it, piercing through the armatized five as they held on, all the power they'd saved holding open the rift to the Heavenly Realm as it slowly began to pour out with Heaven's fury. For a good minute, they were able to maintain the blast, but eventually, reality was stronger than their will, and the rift began to close on them. They struggled, trying to maintain it, but it was no use; as the last of the mana they'd saved ran dry, the hole snapped shut, spitting them back onto the ground, where they fell heavily, spent and exhausted, their engorged limbs aching.

They tried to shift, to pick themselves up, but they simply lacked the strength - the body they controlled was many times the size of any individual mortal body, and even five mortal strengths combined couldn't move it. Within them, the Mana Wheel stuttered, a wheel with a broken axle, trying to turn but too overworked to keep going. Using everything they had, they rolled their head just enough that they could see Kuksedra, claws flailing skywards, covered in glowing white cracks that spread from where its body had been struck. The creature seemed equally incapacitated, but as they watched it struggle, slowly, very slowly, the far ends of the cracks began to seal back up, and the beast rolled over, working to stand.

_No._

The Mana Wheel kept stuttering, even as the melded consciousness attached to it tried to get it to turn again - they needed to get up, they needed to move out of the way as Kuksedra and Niko rose to their feet and stumbled towards them, gaining strength with every moment.

_Ka-chunk…ka-chunk…ka-chunk_, went the disabled mechanism. _Ka-chunk…ka-chunk…ka-chunk…THUNK!_

At the last moment, the Mana Wheel righted itself, the four elements that composed it syncing into place again, and it turned, energy pouring out of it and into its vessel, flooding the limbs with strength. Massive black talons came down on where they lay, but they rolled over and out of the way, just barely evading the blow. Struggling to their feet, they reached over their shoulder and drew Stormhowl again. Armatized Kuksedra turned on them, its reddish eyes gleaming, as realization dawned on the heroes:

_Even with all the power of the Heavenly Realm, we can't kill a primal deity._

Maybe, if they cast the Mystic Arte again, if they saved up power and hit the monster with Final Light multiple times, it might be enough, but even as they sank back into the flow of battle, those cracks left in the black monster by Heaven's fury began to heal, just quickly enough that there would be no trace left by the time they would be able to cast Final Light again.

Then a new thought came: _We don't have to kill Kuksedra right now, we just have to convince him to de-armatize with Niko._

Holding this in mind, they fought on, blade swinging, leaping away from the claws and tail, blocking the black fire, launching sabers of raw power from the sword at the spot all the white cracks stemmed from, trying to keep the vulnerability open as they aimed for the chest, desperate for an opportunity. Their weapon kept the monster busy, as its own body's weapons kept them busy, and they danced, not giving up, not letting go, knowing they had one chance and had to take it.

On it went, and the heroes' body couldn't last forever - they cast a Rejuvination arte, and that took some of the power generated by the Mana Wheel, more than blocking did, though it was a desperate measure, and it did save them from the brink of death. Could the armatized Kuksedra use a similar power? They didn't know, and they couldn't wonder at it, couldn't let themselves think that the battle might be hopeless. No; they fought, aiming for the weak spot in the dragon's chest, which it guarded carefully, as slowly, the white cracks began to seal.

New battle tactics arose from within the shared consciousness now, to be blended with the Rangetsu style, of feints and misdirects; wherever those tactics came from, the five as one embraced them, and began to employ trickery, aiming for lesser weak spots, feigning more weariness than they felt, dragging their foe's guard down. It didn't work at first, the armatized monster was hesitant to risk giving them an edge, but the primal deity's arrogance - or was it Niko's arrogance? - won out in the end. This led to the beast going stronger on the assault, and the five had to dodge faster, block harder, swing with everything they had as they tried to move for the spot that by now was just a few white streaks over where the beast's heart might be.

Finally, as black claws came down on them, they leapt over the arm and, at a split second's opportunity, plunged the armatized Stormhowl into the monster's chest through the last glimmer of weakness, all the way to the hilt.

Kuksedra screamed and thrashed, sending the Mana Wheel's vessel flying; rather than try to pull the sword out, they let go, allowing themselves to be tossed aside, landing heavily and rolling away. Without the conduit, the Mana Wheel's power had nowhere to go and quickly started to grow out of control - they had to either be destroyed by it, or break it. But breaking it was not easy. Even having only been united for however long the battle had taken, the five were as one, all their knowledge and memories and thoughts and feelings melted together inside them, to say nothing of their bodies. As the burning began to overwhelm them, they all jerked from within, trying to tear themselves apart again.

They were…five, yes? There were five of them. Eizen, Zaveid, Lucine, Sahra, Edna; those were their names, but whose were whose? Memories from various viewpoints conflicted with each other, and a hazy bit of distinction began to form. One was another's baby brother, a third had loved a woman who looked like a fourth…one was human, four were seraphim…the elements and the Shepherd, each representing one of the Five Lords in this battle…

Suddenly, a memory of unthinkable anguish split two from three: the loss of love right before their eyes, a heart breaking seemingly beyond ever repairing, a sensation only two of them had felt and could therefore even begin to understand. But one's pain was new, the other old; one was a fresh wound, and the other, long bleeding, was…healing now, though it was afraid to…

Eizen tore himself free, casting off from Zaveid; with the two boys separated, the rest couldn't stay united, and with an earsplitting ripping sound, the mana-imbued body split into five bodies that were flung in different directions, all left dazed and confused from what they had just experienced. Eizen felt his throat groan as he tried to move; his body felt weak and small, but he could move it almost too well. Panting, he mustered his strength, thinking back over his memories as he pieced his individual identity back together. _I am Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe, I am the Shepherd, I am human,_ he reminded himself, and slowly, the spinning, aching feeling in his head eased.

Drawing on a lifetime of trained self-discipline, Eizen opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Stars winked through his vision, dizziness filled his skull, and he grabbed his temples, another groan vibrating his throat. Distantly, he noticed another sound, but it didn't matter just then; he needed to make sure his comrades were okay. Once his vision cleared, he looked around, and he saw Zaveid, Lucine, Sahra, and Edna, all lying on the ground around him, their bodies shifting as they tried to rouse themselves.

"G…" Choking, Eizen coughed, trying to restore his airways. "…Guys?" he finally managed to rasp. "Is…everyone…okay?"

"Yeah," Zaveid groaned, struggling to lift his head before collapsing onto his back again, his chest heaving. "Damn," he mumbled, "that was…the craziest damn thing…I've ever done…" He gave a breathless chuckle, then added, "And I've done…some pretty damn…crazy things…"

"Yeah," Sahra concurred wearily, though this was almost drowned out by another, almost-deafening sound that Eizen didn't quite have the strength to wonder about just then. "Can't believe we…pulled that one off…"

Zaveid was the first to manage a sitting position after Eizen, who finally managed to get to his feet without needing to drop back to his knees. Sahra appeared to be okay, but Lucine and Edna were barely moving, and he stumbled over to where they lay near each other, dropping down beside Edna and shaking her. "Big sis?" he asked.

Those words seemed to rouse her, and she opened her blue eyes, though they were unfocused and hazy. "Huh?" she moaned.

"Edna," Eizen said, speaking her name like an affirmation of life. "Look at me, Edna. You're my big sis, remember? I was named after your older brother, and now I'm your baby brother. Look at me."

"Baby…brother?" she whispered, her head turning to face him.

"Yeah, it's me," Eizen said, offering her a smile.

"Oooh," she groaned, lifting a hand. "Help me up…?" she asked weakly.

Eizen took her hand, and pulled her into a sitting position. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Like I was torn apart into a dozen pieces and then stitched back together," the earth seraph replied, but her toneless voice was so _her_, faint though it was, that Eizen couldn't help but smile wider.

It took less effort to stand this time, and when he looked around, he saw that Sahra was already sitting of her own accord, and Zaveid had managed to get to his feet - or at least, so Eizen assumed, as the wind seraph now knelt beside Lucine, who was still on her back.

"Lucine?" Eizen asked, walking over to join Zaveid as he shook the blue-clad woman.

"Come on, angel," Zavied murmured, "wake up. Come on now…"

Slowly, Lucine turned her head from side to side, then cracked her eyes open. Edna and Sahra joined them, as her violet eyes blearily fixed on her Prime Lord. "Zaveid…?" she croaked.

"Right here, darling," Zaveid smiled, though his undertone hinted at the true depth of his relief as the water seraph gathered her strength. "We're all okay. You don't even need to heal us."

"Heal," she repeated, and that seemed to give her a bit of energy. Her body shuddered as she tried to force herself up; Zaveid watched for a moment, then reached out and lifted her into a sitting position, his arms holding her steady.

"Easy, angel," he murmured gently. "Take it easy. It's alright. You're okay."

Lucine shook her head, then turned to look behind Eizen. Something caught her gaze, and she gasped.

"What's happening to them?" she asked.

Everyone turned at these unexpected words, and were faced with the behemoth they had just been fighting - Eizen had nearly forgotten about Kuksedra, and he had a feeling the others had too, memory being something that was coming back slowly after having shared a mind with four other people.

The armatized Kuksedra roared and thrashed - that had been the source of the noise Eizen had been noticing. From its chest protruded the massive, glowing hilt of the weapon Stormhowl had become when it channeled a Mana Wheel. It was hard to tell, but the handle alone looked bigger than any building Eizen had ever seen. _Just how big were we?_ he wondered.

Black claws were batting at the sword hilt, but like Niko, the monster lacked actual fingers, and so couldn't grab it. The mana-filled weapon was stuck in hard and deep, and wouldn't come out easily, that much was clear; still, the monster kept trying, as the blade's presence clearly caused it tremendous pain. _Whap_!_ Whap_!_ Whap_! went its paws at the handle of the weapon burning it from the inside - it seemed safe to assume that all the power of the Mana Wheel was still contained within the blade buried deep in the beast's chest.

_CRACK!_

When the monster batted at the hilt again, it suddenly snapped with a deafening sound and went flying, clattering against the crystalized malevolence underfoot. As it slid to a stop not far from the five heroes, impossibly huge, mana poured off of it, and it quickly shrank, unleashing energy in waves that battered Eizen and his comrades; the released energy pushed at the malevolence surrounding them for a long minute, the ground itself rippling underneath the broken weapon, until it was reduced to nothing more than the physical materials it had been.

Alarmed, Eizen ran over to the bladeless hilt where it lay, dropping down and gingerly picking it up. A ragged bit of metal was all that was left of the blade of the legendary sword.

"It…broke?" he breathed. "What…what am I gonna tell dad…?"

"Tell him you used it in a battle against a primal deity and won, and a power beyond any in the mortal world barely managed to break it in the process," Edna's toneless voice spoke up from behind him, and he turned to see his comrades at his back. His big sis shrugged nonchalantly and added, "He'll probably be really proud to hear what it was used for here."

"Edna's right," Zaveid agreed, forcing a grin. "I'm sure Rokurou will be delighted to hear about this whole mess."

"Speaking of which…" Lucine said, her violet eyes still aimed upwards.

Eizen turned back around and looked up. Kuksedra was still writhing and screeching, but there was nothing left for the armatized behemoth to swat at; white light poured from the stab wound in its chest, but any physical object was lodged beneath its unbreakable skin.

"The blade…they can't get it out," Sahra said.

"It's not a blade anymore," Eizen said, rising to his feet again, his eyes still on their enemy, the jaggedness of the bit of metal still attached to the now-bladeless hilt fresh in his mind. "I don't think it just broke off, I think it completely shattered. There are dozens of shards of metal, each burning with the strength of a Mana Wheel, stuck in their chest."

"Which means…" Lucine said slowly.

She didn't have to finish her sentence. Clearly, the primal deity was left with only two solutions: rip open his chest and pick out the pieces one by one with unwieldy claws, or surrender his borrowed physical form entirely.

A few moments later, he chose the latter.

One final howl emanated from the dragon's massive jaws before it began to shift and dissolve. Dark energy erupted from its being in massive jets, and as it lost its presence, the many, many pieces of the sword that had been Stormhowl became visible, burning through the black like stars in a night sky, then brighter than that, far brighter. Kuksedra's essence came off faster and faster, trying to flee the burning light, and as Eizen squinted at the spectacle, he began to make out another solid shape floating among all the fragments - a small shape, tiny compared to what the monster had been, but a figure he knew, the figure of a young girl…one that, almost as soon as it was discernible among all the darkness and light, began to fall.

Not even thinking, Eizen dropped Stormhowl's hilt and ran as fast as he could, Niko's descent gaining speed as he pelted forward. As she dropped, the primal deity's essence became dispersed enough for the burning metal to also begin to fall, and Eizen redoubled his pace, charging to meet his sister as she fell from on high, only just barely reaching her in time to catch her. Throwing his arms around the girl, he dove and rolled, saving her from the impact before hunching over to shield her from the falling metal fragments, which had lost their mana as they'd fallen and now clattered harmlessly against the thick weave of his Shepherd's cloak. When the pattering stopped, he sat up and looked at the figure he held.

She was small, slight, and entirely human. Gone were the claws and wings, her horns were now pigtails of silky black hair, her hands and feet made up of fingers and toes, her soft skin a pale white against the same shapeless black dress she'd worn for Celica's birthday party.

"Niko," Eizen said softly as his seraphim ran up to join him.

The thirteen-year-old girl groaned, her eyes slitting open slowly - copper eyes, eyes she had inherited from their father, eyes that didn't burn with malevolence or glow with red light. "Ei…zen?" she rasped, her gaze focusing on him.

"Yeah," Eizen said, smiling at her. "It's me. You're gonna be okay."

"Have you always…been so beautiful?" she asked sleepily.

Eizen blinked.

"Yeah, he's always looked this way," Zaveid said from behind, and Eizen turned to look up at his uncle. Zaveid smirked down at the fallen Lord of Calamity. "This is what people look like when there's no malevolence clouding your vision," he told her. "It's kinda nice, ain't it?"

"Without…malevolence?" Niko slowly repeated with a slight frown. Struggling from Eizen's gentle grip, she leaned forward and raised her hands to see her pale, soft, entirely-human fingers. "No!" she gasped in alarm, lurching to her feet. Looking down at herself only seemed to increase her panic. "No, no, no no no no no! _No_!" she screamed, looking up. "Kuksedra! _Kuksedra_!"

It wasn't the same word she had uttered as a hellion, but a bit of darkness gathered before her, white lights appearing as his eyes formed.

"Why have you left me?!" Niko demanded tearfully as that little bit of the primal deity faced her. "Why have you abandoned me?! What did I do wrong?!"

[**Y**OU ARE USELESS TO ME NOW,] Kuksedra stated. [**A** SHARD OF THE **M**ANA **W**HEEL STILL ENDURES, EMBEDDED WITHIN YOUR HEART; IT BURNS AWAY MY INFLUENCE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN BE IMBUED WITH IT, AND **I **CANNOT REMOVE IT.]

"Yes you can!" Niko cried, her eyes overflowing with liquid. "You're a primal deity! You can do anything!"

[**I**T IS NOT BEYOND MY POWER,] Kuksedra admitted. [**H**OWEVER, THE POWER IT WOULD TAKE TO DESTROY THAT FRAGMENT WOULD ALSO DESTROY YOU, LEAVING YOU AS USELESS TO ME AS YOU ARE NOW. **A**S **I** STAND TO GAIN NOTHING FROM YOUR DEATH, **I** LEAVE YOU THUS.]

Niko pulled at the neckline of her dress. Curious, Eizen stepped around to look, and saw her reveal a spot just to the side of her sternum where white light shone through from under her skin. It would burn the imbalance of malevolence out of her for as long as she lived; she had no choice but to be a balanced human until the day she died. This realization was not lost on Niko, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing and wailing, as the bit of Kuksedra that had taken form to reply to her dispersed, leaving the former Lord of Calamity alone with her conquerers.

Eizen looked at his defeated sister, trying to decide what to say. None of his seraphim stepped forward; it was none of their business anymore, not even for Zaveid or Edna. "Niko…" he finally said softly.

"_You_!" Niko shrieked, lurching to her feet. Still crying, she slammed into Eizen bodily and started pounding her fists against his chest, the blows too weak to hurt him now. "You ruined everything!" she sobbed as he put his arms around her. "Why did you have to fight back?! We could have fixed everything! I hate you, Eizen! I hate you!"

"I know," Eizen said softly as he let her unload onto him, gently patting the back of her head. "I know."

"Some brother you are!" she went on furiously, still punching him ineffectually. "I just wanted to make things better, and you ruined it! Now the whole world's gonna stay broken, everyone will die! Why couldn't you let me have this?! Why did you do this?! I hate you! I _hate_ you!"

But all her hatred couldn't generate enough malevolence to make her turn again, not with the shard of the Mana Wheel burning in her heart, and she struggled and cried herself out as Eizen just held her, comforting his sister by not fighting anymore, knowing there was no point; it was over, all over. After several long minutes, her wails subsided into hiccups and sniffles, her hands dropping to her sides as she leaned against him.

"You'll understand someday," Eizen said softly, "but this wasn't the right answer. The world you and Kuksedra would have made would have been horrific, with no joy or love or goodness." Sighing, he pushed her back slightly so he could look at her tearstained face. "We're going to finish settling things with Kuksedra," he told her, "and then you're gonna come home with us."

"What home?" she asked sourly, swiping at her face. "The treehouse burned down, dad and Cellie are dead, and mom must hate me."

"Niko…dad and Celica are alive," Eizen said.

"Huh?" She blinked and looked up at him.

He smiled at her. "It's like I told you before, I finished the Omega Elixir and used it on Cellie, she's alive and well," he explained; "and Maotelus managed to save…well, _most_ of dad. He lost his legs and his left hand, as well as all his blessings and some of his memories, but he's still the same dad we know and love. They're both alive, Niko, and they both want you to come home - and mom does too, she could never hate you. Our whole family wants you to come home…and so do I."

"I don't believe you," Niko scowled, crossing her pale arms.

"It's true," Zaveid piped up, walking over to them. "I can tell ya myself, Cellie's all cured, and Rokurou's still…well, not kicking, since he lost most of one leg and almost half of the other, but, y'know, he's still himself." He chucked. "Cellie never stops moving, now that she's not sick anymore - keeps saying 'sleep is for the weak' and running everywhere as fast as she can, like she'll never run out of energy. Rokurou's doing his best to train her in the Rangetsu style without being able to actually demonstrate anything, and she's over the moon about it. Plus, Velvet has a job cooking at the inn in Ladylake now, they're saving up to buy a new house in town. I promise you," he added, his expression growing stern, "I swear to you by my true name, Fylk Zahdeya - Zaveid the Oathkeeper - Celica and Rokurou are both alive and as well as can be."

Zaveid didn't make promises like that if he couldn't keep them, everyone in the family knew this full well, and Eizen watched several expressions cross Niko's face before it finally settled on confusion; one hand went to her chest as she blinked, apparently baffled.

"That's called _emotion_, what you're feeling now, kiddo," Zaveid informed her. "Happiness, if I'm not much mistaken, plus more than a little relief."

"Yeah," Eizen said, "you can be happy now, because now you can care about Cellie and mom and dad and…and anyone else, since you aren't malevolent anymore."

"Doesn't it feel good?" Zaveid asked. "Doesn't it feel like you could fly?"

"Y…yeah…" Niko whispered, confusion morphing into something like amazement.

"That's what you were trying to destroy, Niko," Eizen told her. "That's what I've been fighting for."

Niko didn't respond to this. She looked…sort of the way Sadie had looked when they'd found Eizen's parents' memory box - like she fully realized she had been wrong, but that being wrong meant good things as well as bad.

Relieved that she finally understood, Eizen sighed, smiling. "Just give us a minute to deal with Kuksedra," he told his sister. "Then, we're all gonna go back home…to a world without the curse of malevolence."

"Hey, uh…about that…"

An unexpected voice piped up behind him, and he turned around to see Sahra fiddling with her braid.

"That's…you know, that's great and all," she said with an uneasy half-smile, "but, um…I, uh…I've been thinking…" She gave a shrug, then met his eyes and asked, "How _do_ we get home, exactly?"

Alarm flooded Eizen's veins as he gasped and turned to look at the distant shape of the planet they lived on. They'd come here by riding a dragon, and passed through some sort of barrier just to enter the skypulse - getting back would be no easy task.

Before he could even think, the dark presence that lived here took form behind him - just a piece, a fragment no bigger than a common dragon, but enough.

[**T**HE SKYPULSE IS NOT MEANT FOR MORTALS LIKE YOU,] Kuksedra told them, [BUT IN ORDER TO LEAVE, YOU MUST HAVE MY EXPRESS PERMISSION. **Y**OU CANNOT ATTAIN IT BY KILLING ME…AND **I** WILL NOT GIVE IT TO YOU.]

* * *

***For best effect, when reading from beyond this point to the moment our heroes let go of Stormhowl, look up "Eternal Eyes OST: Luna the Goddess of Destruction" on YouTube and put that on loop. FUN FACT: My idea for Niko's design is actually NOT based on her mother, but rather on a draconian version of the concept art for Luna the Goddess of Destruction from the PS1 game Eternal Eyes. Good luck finding said concept art, though; I can't dig it up on Google Images no matter what keywords I use…If you REALLY want to see, look up "RGOGNOCA: Eternal Eyes: Salt Without a Steak" on YouTube and you should find my video going over the concept art, the one in question being at exactly eight minutes in; Niko's like that, but with black scales instead of blue fur-feathers, curled and spiky horns instead of hair, the face as I've described in this story, and a black dress instead of a naked torso with some patterns on it; also her claws are significantly longer than that, and she has no fingers. Anyway, it just feels like it would be fitting for the theme of the final boss fight with her and her master to be the same as the boss fight theme of the thing that inspired her design.**

**While I'm indulging in some fangirl fantasizing about what it would be like if this was a game, here's how Mana Wheel armatization would work within gameplay: I'm thinking of a system wherein you'd have to keep an eye on your BG even more than your health. So get this: the boss would not have any Mystic Artes or insta-kill moves - weird for a final boss in a Tales game, I know, but there IS in fact an insta-lose scenario, and that scenario would be if you let your BG reach maximum and then don't use any of it for a certain amount of time. The little meter would constantly fill as you play, blocking malevolent fire would cost BG buildup _instead_ of health, and each successful blow on the boss would gain you one point (or maybe just a third of a point, I still haven't decided how it would work) due to the Rangetsu buff; the capacity of your BG would work the same as armatization in Zestiria, as would your health and stats, that is to say, a combination of all the individuals' added together based on their levels, what herbs have been used on them, and their current equipment. That constant increase in BG would make it very important that you use moves that keep it under control, not just to avoid insta-death but also because, once it passes a certain percentage of max, it would start to cause a very slow health drain, like being therionized in Berseria; however, the only way to cast Final Light would be to let it reach maximum and then hit the Mystic Arte button, though to make things fair, it wouldn't have to be in the middle of a combo. The Mystic Arte itself would last only as long as it takes for the meter to deplete - BG would go down slowly during it, instead of all the points being spent at once, and would effectively act as putting time on a timer: while Kuksedra is feeling the aftereffects of Final Light, that's when you can deal solid damage; he would heal at the same rate your BG increases, to prevent using Final Light on him a second time while he's still vulnerable…or maybe there would be a way to do it, with the result being similar to Zestiria's bad ending (you'll understand why after the next chapter). Again, in order to build up your BG to max quickly, you'd have to be hitting him in the meantime, since that raises your BG one point at a time, but the damage dealt would be minimum without the effects of Final Light in play, and of course Kuksedra would have a crapton of health. Basically, if you just button-mash in this fight, you'll lose, but if you're careful and keep an eye on your BG even more than your health, you'll have an epic Anime battle on your hands. Would that be cool, or a pain in the butt? Please let me know in a review! :) I know it can never be, but a girl can dream…**


	26. A Light We Can't See

Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe turned and looked up at the massive figure that was only a piece of the primal deity of darkness. "What do you mean, you won't give it to us?" he asked coldly.

[**W**HAT WOULD **I** STAND TO GAIN FROM LETTING YOU LEAVE?] Kuksedra asked. [**I**F YOU ARE SO DETERMINED TO CHAMPION MY SISTER'S CAUSE, IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT YOU SHOULD REAP WHAT SHE HAS SOWN, AND SHARE IN MY IMPRISONMENT HERE, BEYOND THE WORLD YOU LOVE SO DEARLY.]

"So what, you'll just keep us here until we die?!" Sahra exclaimed.

[**Y**OU WILL NOT EXPIRE,] the dark dragon told them. [**T**HE SKYPULSE IS A PLACE OUTSIDE OF SPACE AND TIME, OUTSIDE OF REALITY; YOU WILL NOT GROW HUNGRY OR THIRSTY, YOU WILL NOT TIRE OR AGE - EVEN BREATH IS MEANINGLESS TO YOU HERE, AN ACTION YOU ONLY PERFORM OUT OF HABIT. **N**O…YOU WILL SIMPLY EXIST, HERE WITH ME, FOR ALL OF ETERNITY, AND PERHAPS EVEN AFTER THAT. **M**Y FATE IS YOURS NOW.]

"Unless you decide to turn into hellions!" Niko piped up, smirking.

[**T**HAT WILL NOT HAPPEN EITHER,] Kuksedra stated, and Niko started and looked up at him in confusion. [**W**HY SHOULD **I** GRANT SUCH A BLESSING TO THOSE WHO WOULD STAND AGAINST ME SO? **T**HEY WILL RETAIN THEIR BEINGS AND SANITY, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO. **M**ALEVOLENCE IS MY CREATION, AND WILL DO AS **I** WILL IT…AND MY WILL IS THAT THE RELEASE OF IMPURITY NEVER TOUCH THEM.]

As Kuksedra said this, Eizen noticed that the malevolence surrounding him seemed to suddenly lift - he could still see it, could still sense it, it was as thick in this place as it had always been, but as he waved a hand slowly in front of his face, he saw that the darkness parted to let his hand pass, maybe half an inch away from his skin. This wasn't the barrier from the blessings of the Five Lords; malevolence itself simply…rejected him.

A sick feeling bit into Eizen's gut.

"Well, if that's the case," Zaveid said, stepping forward, "I guess we're just gonna have to beat you up until you can't keep us here anymore!"

[**K**ILLING ME WOULD ACCOMPLISH NOTHING,] Kuksedra informed them, and the cold pit in Eizen's stomach widened even further. [**E**VEN IN DEATH, MY SEAL SHALL ENDURE. **A**S FOR YOUR PRECIOUS WORLD…MALEVOLENCE MAY BE MY CREATION, BUT **I** DO NOT CAUSE IT TO OCCUR; IT SPREADS OF ITS OWN ACCORD NOW, AN UNSTOPPABLE DISEASE.]

"But _you_ could stop it," Eizen pointed out softly. "If you wanted to. Couldn't you?"

[**W**HY SHOULD **I**?] the primal deity demanded. [**I** HAVE NOTHING ELSE LEFT.]

"You have me!" Niko insisted. "And you have all of them now, too! I might not be able to channel your power anymore, but I'm here with you, you don't have to be all alone!"

Whatever Kuksedra said in reply to this, Eizen didn't bother processing the message into words - Niko's declaration had ignited a memory in his mind, of looking into Kuksedra's armatized eyes as the black dragon gazed upon the cleansing light of the Heavenly Realm. Through Lucine's blessing, Eizen had been able to sense everything Kuksedra had been feeling in that moment…and between that and the ramifications of the beast's true name that he'd instinctively felt upon hearing it spoken…

"Selfishness," he spoke up suddenly.

Any trace of conversation cut off, and everyone turned to him in bewilderment, including the primal deity. Eizen lifted his chin and looked up at the piece of Kuksedra that had manifested, meeting the dark god's eyes as best he could.

"You're keeping us here out of selfishness," he declared, "because you're lonely and don't want to be here by yourself anymore. Hatred: you hate your sister, and any trace of the things she held dominion over, because she betrayed you and hurt you and left you like this. Conceit: even though you know, as part of your very existence, that all things in nature need a balance of Light and Dark in order to be whole, you've still convinced yourself that you can make a better world without Light."

[**W**HAT ARE YOU-?]

"Obsession," Eizen went on, stepping forward: "you haven't let go of this idea of making a purely Dark world even as tens of thousands of years passed, no matter how many times you've been foiled. Greed: you want the whole world entirely to yourself, and to not share anything in it with anyone. Lust: you long for the praise and worship and renown that the Five Lords are given by the people who think the Elementals are gods. Cowardice: you're afraid of being forgotten, so much so that you think we won't tell anyone about you if we go home, and all knowledge of you will die with us." He'd been walking towards the dragon as he'd been speaking, and now he stopped, lowering his voice. "Despair," he concluded softly: "you believe you will never return home, that to be trapped here forever is your only, unchangeable fate."

Silence filled the skypulse, both from those who communicated with sound, and the primal deity who spoke with his mind, for a long minute.

[**W**HAT EXACTLY ARE YOU IMPLYING WITH THESE OBSERVATIONS, **P**ACT **K**EEPER?] Kuksedra inquired at last.

Eizen shook his head. "Kuksedra, don't you see?" he asked in response. "Without your sister, alone here with your broken heart, you've been consumed by your own creation. This, all this…" He gestured vaguely at Kuksedra, at Niko, at the planet in the distance. "This isn't you. You are not a destroyer, you are not evil; you are a protector, meant to _maintain_ the balance between Light and Dark, not disrupt it. But you've been sealed here for so long, alone with your wounds, your anger and your grief, that you've become something you were never meant to be."

[**Y**OU ASSUME MUCH, MORTAL,] Kuksedra rumbled in his mind.

"No," Eizen said certainly, and he gave the primal deity a faint smile as he remembered the words his mother had heard in her nightmare. "I hear you. I _hear_ you, Kuksedra, and I understand. I understand that you're in pain, that you've suffered as no one should ever have to suffer, that you were betrayed by…by the one you love the most, the most important person in the world to you…" As these words came, Eizen suddenly understood why his brain always chose to translate Kuksedra's title for Phoenia as "sister", and had a feeling he could guess what each of his comrades individually had been hearing, too. "And…I don't think you have to be this way. I believe you can heal, Kuksedra, I truly do."

The dark god said nothing, his glowing white eyes staring down at the mortal Shepherd, his emotions unreadable.

"Come here," Eizen said gently, lifting a hand. "I bet I can show you, right now. Come here." This last, he said with both his mouth and his mind, so Kuksedra would understand what he was asking.

Slowly, the manifested chunk of Kuksedra, which took the form of a dragon-sized dragon, lowered his head down, placing the tip of his snout right within Eizen's reach. Summoning the flames of purification, Eizen managed to conjure a bit of white fire on his palm and lay it against the ethereal surface of the behemoth. Though Kuksedra still had no physical form, the power of purification was something beyond that which was mortal and physical, and with a vibrating, burning sensation, Eizen felt his hand touch the dark god's skin.

An image suddenly flashed in Eizen's mind's eye, another of Kuksedra and Phoenia, like the one in which they'd orbited the world together. This time, though, he saw, against a backdrop of black sky and white stars, the two dragons embracing each other completely, their foreheads pressed together, all four clawed feet interlocked, their tails intertwined, their wings wrapped around each other's forms…and it was the most beautiful thing Eizen had ever seen. As the previous image had seemed to speak of perfection and balance, this image radiated with the very embodiment of all that was good in the universe, all that was pure and right and true. Put together, the two dragons formed a heart shape…and not just _a_ heart shape, but _the_ heart shape, the beating heart of the mortal world itself, in its whole and healthy form. In that moment, Eizen knew he was correct in what he'd only just guessed: Darkness was not evil, and Light was not good, but rather, good was what happened when Light and Dark coexisted and worked together in happiness and peace, while evil was what happened when Light and Dark were in conflict and either one sought to destroy the other.

All of this crossed Eizen's mind in the span of a split second before Kuksedra jerked away, threw his head back, and roared, howling with anguish…anguish Eizen was all too familiar with, as much so as any mortal could be.

[**_P_**_HOENIAAAAAAAA_!] Kuksedra roared, filling their minds with words as his scream split their ears with sound. [**P**HOENIA, MY SISTER, WHY DID YOU DO IT?! **W**HY DID YOU BETRAY ME?! **W**HY DID YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON THIS WORLD?! **Y**OU WERE ALL **I** HAD AND ALL **I** NEEDED, AND **I** TRIED TO BE THE SAME FOR YOU, **I** WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU ANYTHING! **W**HY, WHY DID YOU DO THIS, WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME, MY SISTER, MY-?!]

Eizen listened harder, and realized that there was no actual equivalent for the final sentiment in words - "sister" worked, as did "counterpart" and "other half", but other possible translations were "love", "dearest one", "best friend", "heart", and "self", along with many, many others…If there was a single word that encompassed every form of real, true, pure love known to man, plus several forms of love no mortal could ever comprehend, that was the word by which Kuksedra referred to Phoenia.

Turning back, Eizen saw his comrades' understanding reflect his own, confirming that what he had inferred wasn't just wishful thinking on his part…and given that, he knew what he had to do next.

"I know you're hurting," Eizen said gently, turning back up to face the black behemoth. "I know you're lashing out because you're in pain. But I don't believe you have to stay like this. You can heal…just, not on your own - I know from experience, a broken heart can't heal by itself. You need…family, or friends, or…or _someone_, in order to work through what was done to you. And…I would be willing. Let me help you, Kuksedra. I know I'm not really an expert or anything, but…I believe in you, and I want to help. And I think I can do it, too."

[**W**HY?] Kuksedra asked. [**W**HAT WOULD YOU EXPECT ME TO GIVE YOU IN RETURN?]

"An end to the curse," Eizen replied readily, "but…it's not like it would be a price, or anything. It would just be what would happen if you healed - you'd go back to maintaining the balance, as you were born to do. And…you'd get to go home."

Something like hope, mixed with copious amounts of disbelief, poured off of Kuksedra wordlessly.

"Here's what I propose," Eizen said. "I'll stay here with you, and I won't ever leave unless you get to go back with me; while I'm here, I'll help you, however I need to, however you'll let me. In the meantime…" He gestured behind him. "…you let my friends and family go, and they'll tell the whole world about you - your whole story, everything we learned here, they'll tell everyone, including the Five Lords. If four regular seraphim plus a vessel can create a Mana Wheel powerful enough to pierce through to the Heavenly Realm, I'm sure the Five Lords working together could break open the seal on the skypulse and allow you to go free. You still can't be released as it stands now, because you'd just destroy everything, but…once you're better, and ready to go back to your old duties, they can let you out. I'm sure they'll agree to it - they want this curse ended more than anyone."

[**I**T MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BREAK OPEN THE SKYPULSE, IF THEY WORK TOGETHER,] Kuksedra conceded. [**W**HAT IS FAR LESS LIKELY IS THAT YOU COULD EVER CHANGE MY MIND, AND MAKE ME INCLINED TO FULFILL THE PURPOSE YOU WOULD HAVE ME TAKE UP ONCE AGAIN.]

"Just give me the chance," Eizen said firmly. "I promise I won't ever leave unless you get to come with me, not even if I find another way out; I'll stay here, with you, and I'll help you, for however long it takes. And when we go back…I know no one can replace your sister, but if the Five Lords work together, maybe they can kind of take her position to work with you, and make things the way they're supposed to be. You'll have all of that if you let my friends and family go home now, so they can tell everyone about you."

[**Y**OU AMUSE ME, **P**ACT **K**EEPER,] Kuksedra rumbled through Eizen's head, and Eizen felt those glowing white eyes turn from him to his comrades. [**D**O YOU ALL AGREE TO THIS BARGAIN?]

"Hell no!"

Alarmed, Eizen turned to Zaveid, whose red-brown eyes were ablaze.

"We're not going anywhere without you, kiddo!" Zaveid exclaimed. "You can't just make that kind of decision for all of us like that!"

"Uncle, please, you need to go back and tell everyone what we learned here," Eizen begged. "Everyone on Glenwood, and on the far continent, and everywhere else too - if nothing else, the people of the world, and especially the Five Lords, need to know why things are the way they are. The world has waited too long for answers already, and we can provide them at last. I need you to deliver the message for Kuksedra, for me, for all of us…but I need to stay here."

"You don't _have_ to," Sahra pointed out, looking as though she was entirely on Zaveid's side for once.

"Yes," Eizen sighed, "I do. I am the Shepherd, I stand alone between the light and the dark…and it's time for the Light and the Dark to stop fighting. Once Kuksedra goes back to being the guardian deity he's supposed to be, the world won't need Shepherds anymore, there will never be another Lord of Calamity, the people of our world can build something better. I can make that happen." He closed his eyes. "I promised Sadie I would do whatever it takes to end the curse, and now I've found out how it can be done. But I need your help." Opening his eyes again, he turned his gaze to each of his seraphim in turn. "Please," he said, "please do this - if not for me, if not for yourselves, then for everyone who stands to lose everything if the curse keeps plaguing our world as it has. Think of the people you've lost, the sacrifices you've made, and how no one will have to face those horrors again once everyone is under Kuksedra's protection, instead of the subject of his wrath. Please, guys, please understand. This is how it has to be."

Lucine was the first to nod. "I will tell everyone," she said. "I'll tell everyone I can find all about what we learned here. I'll make sure the Five Lords know. I will do my part. I promise."

"I guess there's no point fighting it if Lucine's in," Sahra grumbled, though she was frowning. "Fine, I'll help too."

Zaveid sighed heavily and folded his arms. "Yeah, alright," he relented.

[**V**ERY WELL,] Kuksedra declared; [**I** ACCEPT YOUR PACT. **Y**OUR COMPANIONS SHALL RETURN HOME AND PREPARE THE WORLD FOR ME, WHILE YOU WILL STAY HERE, UNTIL YOU DEEM ME ABLE TO RETURN. **D**O NOT COUNT ON THAT DAY EVER COMING, HOWEVER.]

"It will," Eizen stated with certainty, and he smiled. "I know it will."

"Hold on."

For the first time, Edna spoke up, and she walked up to stand beside Eizen in front of Kuksedra.

"Big sis," Eizen began, turning to her.

"I'm not leaving you here all alone, baby brother," Edna told him adamantly. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Edna," Eizen sighed, "I have to stay."

The earth seraph who had been his family since birth met his eyes for a long, heavy minute. "I know," she said tonelessly, "and that's why I'm staying here, too."

Eizen wasn't the only one to give an alarmed cry of protest at this statement, but Edna held her ground without even flinching.

"We'll do this together, baby brother, or not at all," Edna stated flatly. "If you're going to be here for the foreseeable centuries, you'll need someone to keep you down to earth. I won't let you do this by yourself, you'll just go crazy before you get through to Sir Darkness." She gestured casually at the primal deity standing beside them.

"But - but what about Isan*?" Eizen argued, desperate to give her some reason to change her mind.

"When Isan and I said goodbye, he made me promise that I wouldn't return to him until my duty was done," Edna responded. "As long as you're here trying to help the primal deity of death stop being kill-crazy, our duty isn't done; I can't go back to him like this."

[**W**HAT OF THE **S**ON OF **E**ARTH WHO RAISED YOU, **U**FEMEW **W**EXUB?] Kuksedra asked. [**I** CAN FEEL YOUR BROTHER BEYOND THE VEIL OF DEATH, **D**AUGHTER OF **E**ARTH; HE WAITS FOR YOU, LONGING TO REUNITE WITH YOU ONE DAY. **S**HOULD YOU STAY HERE WITH ME, YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN.]

Though Edna's cheeks flushed, her blue eyes were steady. "And what would I tell him if I left his namesake here alone?" she countered. "That I abandoned my new family to spend eternity alone here with the creator of malevolence, just so I could eventually die and join him someday? That I'm just as selfish as he was when he left me? How could I ever face him, if that was the story I had to tell?"

"Edna-"

"_I'm not losing another Eizen_!" Edna shouted, her stone-cold facade cracking for just a moment before Eizen could push her any further.

Despite himself, Eizen could hear in her words what she would not say: that she wouldn't leave another brother abandoned to fate just because he asked her to, that she wouldn't let him do to her what her older brother, his namesake, had done nearly two thousand years prior. And, he realized, he couldn't ask her to. "It's…up to you," he sighed. "But are you…really sure?"

"I'm sure," she replied, not hesitating for even a moment. "I'm not leaving you, and you can't make me."

[**H**EPHSIN **Y**ULIND SPEAKS TRUE,] Kuksedra remarked; [SHE CANNOT BE FORCED OUT OF THE SKYPULSE AGAINST HER WILL. **V**ERY WELL, **D**AUGHTER OF **E**ARTH, **I** ACCEPT YOUR SACRIFICE - AND BECAUSE **I** NEVER TAKE WITHOUT GIVING SOMETHING IN RETURN, HERE IS MY GIFT IN KIND. **_F_**_ETHMUS _**_M_**_IOMA_!]

A roar echoed from the distance in response, and Eizen blinked; after everything they'd learned and everything they'd done since coming here, he'd completely forgotten that the dragon that had once been Lailah was somewhere in the skypulse with them. At some point, Kuksedra must have manifested the rest of himself, because when the white-horned dragon came soaring to meet them, she was tiny compared to the form of the primal deity. The white-horned dragon dove down, slowed her descent with a few flaps of her wings, and settled to stand beside them, her dead eyes watching them expectantly.

[**T**HIS FALLEN **D**AUGHTER OF **F**IRE SHALL BE THE ONE TO BRING YOU HOME,] Kuksedra declared. [**O**NLY A DRAGON CAN REACH THE SKYPULSE, AFTER ALL, AND ONLY A DRAGON CAN LEAVE IT SAFELY; WITH **H**EPHSIN **Y**ULIND HERE TO ONE DAY BE YOUR **P**ACT **K**EEPER'S TRANSPORT, **F**ETHMUS **M**IOMA HAS NO REASON TO REMAIN.]

"But then…what were you going to do before?" Lucine asked.

[**I** WOULD HAVE USED MY POWER TO TRANSFORM ONE OF YOU TO CARRY THE REST BACK TO THE MORTAL WORLD, ONCE **I** OBTAINED YOUR CONSENT,] Kuksedra replied.

"You were going to _kill_ one of us?!" Sahra cried.

[**O**NLY TEMPORARILY,] Kuksedra answered calmly. [**A**ND IN RETURN FOR **H**EPHSIN **Y**ULIND'S SACRIFICE, **I** SHALL MAKE **F**ETHMUS **M**IOMA'S DEATH TEMPORARY AS WELL. **O**NCE SHE DELIVERS YOU TO THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, **I** SHALL RELEASE HER FROM MY POWER, AND SHE WILL AGAIN BE THE **D**AUGHTER OF **F**IRE YOU ONCE KNEW.]

"But dragons are already dead," Sahra protested. "We figured that out, and…and that's the truth, right?"

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra confirmed with a nod of his massive head. [**H**OWEVER, DEATH IS _MY_ DOMINION, AND MINE ALONE; WHEN **I** AM ALLOWED TO INFLUENCE THE MORTAL WORLD, **I** AM ABLE TO CONTROL WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT PASS THROUGH THE VEIL BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, THOUGH **I** COULD NEVER RETURN LIFE TO THAT WHICH HAS ALREADY PASSED ON. **S**INCE IT IS MY POWER THAT CURRENTLY KEEPS **F**ETHMUS **M**IOMA'S SOUL IN THE MORTAL WORLD, AND BECAUSE MALEVOLENCE IS MY CREATION AND WILL DO AS **I** WILL IT, **I** AM ABLE TO RELEASE HER OF MY POWER SAFELY AND RETURN HER TO HER PREVIOUS FORM, EVEN ONCE SHE LEAVES THE SKYPULSE.]

"Yeah," Zaveid said darkly, "I'll believe that when I see it."

[**T**HEN YOU HAD BEST BE ON YOUR WAY,] Kuksedra said pointedly. He paused for a moment, then added, [**I** AM AWARE THAT BEINGS WITH SOULS ARE SENTIMENTAL CREATURES; **I** WILL GRANT YOU AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED TO SAY YOUR GOODBYES. **W**HEN YOU ARE READY, CLIMB ABOARD **F**ETHMUS **M**IOMA'S BACK, AND ONCE EVERYONE LEAVING IS IN PLACE, SHE WILL RETURN YOU TO WHERE YOU BELONG.]

With that, the dark god dissipated, leaving two humans, four seraphim, and one waiting dragon. All of them stood still for a long, long minute.

"Big brother?" Niko finally asked.

"Go home, Niko," Eizen told her gently.

"But I can't!" she wailed, already on the verge of tears. "I have no place back home! No one will ever let me live a normal life since I was the Lord of Calamity, and I can't be a hellion anymore because of your stupid sword!"

"You have mom and dad, and Cellie too," Eizen told her, kneeling down to her eye level. "And you have uncle Zaveid - he's the Prime Lord, he'll be able to explain everything to everyone. I'm sure, with the Prime Lord supporting you, Maotelus will forgive you for what you did."

"Don't try to make her feel better, baby brother," Edna grumbled, stepping up beside them, and her sky-blue eyes fixed on Niko icily. "Not many people will be willing to forgive you for what you've done," she stated, then shrugged an added, "but in my opinion, the Mana Wheel shard stuck in your heart is punishment enough." A cold smirk curled one half of her mouth. "It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

A choked chuckle came from where Zaveid stood just beyond them, and Edna turned to him.

"Speaking of which," the earth seraph went on, "Zaveid, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

"Uh…" Zaveid blinked as Edna started walking away without waiting for response. "Yeah, sure," he finally managed, and he ran after her.

"People _will_ probably be mad at you," Eizen said after a moment, drawing Niko's attention back to himself. "But you have a job to do now, one given to you by the Shepherd, and with Zaveid and Maotelus supporting you, you probably won't face any criminal charges."

"A job?" Niko repeated, blinking her copper eyes.

"You have to tell everyone everything you know," Eizen reminded her. "That's part of the condition of leaving the skypulse. Zaveid, Sahra, and Lucine are all going to need you to help them spread the word, since you know Kuksedra better than any of us." Something occurred to him, and he smiled as he added, "You'll still get to save the world, Niko. That shard in your heart is the most proof you can bring back that any of this ever happened, so it can't be done without you."

"Save the world…" Niko repeated, frowning.

"Yeah…Hey, hold on a minute, I'll be right back," Eizen said abruptly, and he stood and ran back over to where Stormhowl's hilt had fallen; it was a ways away, and took a while to get to, whether the skypulse was a place outside of space and time or not. Retrieving it at last, he pulled the scabbard from over his shoulder and hurried back to Niko, handing both to her as he crouched down to her eye level again. "Here," he told her, "take these back to dad, and explain what happened."

His sister took the bladeless hilt and the sheath that would never hold the legendary sword again, still frowning. "He'll be mad," she said.

"Nah," Eizen chuckled, "he'll be proud as can be to know what our family's sword managed to do here. I'm sure he'll make you guys tell him the story a dozen times."

Her grip tightened on both items, but when she looked back up at him, her eyes were misty with tears…and Eizen couldn't help but feel a stinging at the corners of his own eyes.

"I love you, Niko," he told her. "You're my sister, and I never stopped loving you no matter what you did. I never will."

"Eizen," she whispered, and she shook her head. "You should hate me. Why don't you hate me? I killed Sadie…"

"You didn't kill Sadie," Eizen stated, even as pain lanced through his heart. "A dragon killed Sadie. You never meant for that to happen. You…only set Mikleo on us to remind uncle Zaveid of the choice he made. Right? To soften him up, make it easier to convince him to join you and Kuksedra?"

Niko closed her eyes, wincing slightly.

"It was an accident," Eizen said firmly. "You didn't want her to die. You didn't want _anyone_ to die. I know that, Niko, I know you meant well in everything you did. All of it, you did out of love - love for our sister, Cellie, and also love for everyone else who would have to suffer and die the way the world currently is. You did a lot of bad things, but you did them for the right reasons, and I believe in you. That's why I know you're going to go down there and tell Kuksedra's story, because you know that that's how you're going to save our world." He stood up, patting her on the head between her pigtails. "Besides," he added, "you're my sister, Niko. I love you, and nothing could ever change that."

"Eizen…" she whimpered, liquid pouring from her wide copper eyes as she gazed up at him in amazement. "I…I love you too, big brother…"

It was all he needed to hear from her. Smiling faintly, Eizen lifted his head to face Sahra and Lucine, the two figures of legend who had been reborn to join him in his quest.

"So," Sahra said slowly, toying with her braid. "This…is goodbye, huh?"

"Yeah," Eizen nodded, and he met Sahra's bright green eyes. "Sahra…I won't be able to help dad train Celica in the Rangetsu style, but it's been her dream her whole life. You were my dad's best student, so you must know the greatsword style as well as the short sword style…Will you help train my sister? Please? As…as family?"

Sahra held his gaze for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "I will," she vowed, then smiled, breaking the tension. "Like I told your father, Celica has that spark, the same one I had, I can feel it; I'll make sure she gets to use it, and become who she's meant to be. Master Rokurou and I will help her flourish, I promise."

"Thank you," Eizen breathed in relief; as long as his family was taken care of, there was nothing he was truly leaving behind. Lifting his chin, he addressed both of his seraphim. "I thank both of you. I'm honored to have gotten to fight alongside both of you - not just for who you were as humans, but for who you became when you were reborn. Thank you, for everything. You were the best allies I could have had."

"Shepherd Eizen…" Lucine said sorrowfully.

"Take care of yourself, Lucine," Eizen told her. He glanced back at Sahra and added, "Both of you, please, take care of yourselves. I know you've both been through a lot, and have a lot more to do even now that we're done here, but…well, don't forget to take time for your own happiness, okay?"

Lucine clasped her hands and bowed. "Thank you for finding me," she said. "If not for you, I would have spent the entirety of my long, seraphic life hiding away, convinced of mistakes I never made."

"And thanks for finding me too," Sahra added; "I don't regret what I was doing in the north, but now I can actually build a life again. And I will, I promise."

"We both will," Lucine concurred. "I promise, too."

"Thank you, both of you," Eizen said. "I couldn't have done this without your help."

~X~

"So what's this about?" Zaveid asked from behind Edna as she determinedly walked far enough away from the others that they wouldn't be heard.

She turned, planting the point of her umbrella in the crystalized malevolence underfoot, and met his eyes. He smirked at her, and she wondered how she had ever believed that cocky smile was anything more than a facade.

"Got any last-minute confessions you wanna make before I go?" he teased.

"Not really," Edna shrugged. "I just have a favor to ask of you. Consider it a last request if I never get out of here."

"You want me to tell Isan where you are?" Zaveid guessed.

"You'd have to do that anyway, since you're going to be traveling the world to tell everyone about what's up here," Edna pointed out.

Zaveid blinked, and she knew that the implications of what he'd been tasked with still hadn't quite sunk in. "True," he mused. "Alright then. What is it you want me to do?"

Mustering all the intimidation and authority she could into the glare she aimed directly at his face, Edna coldly commanded him, "Make Lucine happy."

The wind seraph winced, recoiling away from her. "I can't do that, Edna," he said, shaking his head.

"Yes," she stated, "you can. You love her, and she loves you, so cut the crap and stop pushing her away."

"I _can't_," he repeated emphatically. "I'm not that kinda guy, Edna, I'm-"

"I know all about the story you told Eizen about how you gave up on being good and all that," Edna interrupted.

"He told you?!" Zaveid gasped.

"He didn't have to," Edna smirked. "You're not the only one who can take seraphic oaths, _Fylk Zahdeya_. I was spying on you the whole time."

"Huh?" Zaveid asked. "What'd you give up to fool the wind?"

"Doesn't matter," Edna responded tonelessly. "What matters is that I know your big sin and why you think you can't do anything but hurt her and all that nonsense. It's garbage, and you know it. Kuksedra himself said that you failed to destroy all of the Light in your soul - and you yourself admitted he was right!" she added pointedly.

"Well yeah, there are _pieces_," Zaveid said frustratedly. "A few withered fragments. That's not enough for a girl like her. She needs someone with a _real_ heart, someone _whole_."

"She doesn't want someone whole," Edna pointed out; "she wants _you_."

"See, if it was my body she wanted, that'd be fine," Zaveid groaned, "but she wants more than that. She wants something I can't give her, or at least not as much as she needs and deserves."

"Yes you can," Edna said dully, rolling her eyes. "Come on, if the primal deity of darkness can be saved, what makes you so goddamn special that there's no hope for you?"

Grunting in exasperation, Zaveid shook his head harder. "I _can't_," he said.

"It won't be easy," Edna admitted; "that's why I'm making it my last request. I don't care how scared you are, and I don't care how much you hate yourself, Lucine deserves to be happy…and so do you."

But he just shook his head again, even as he gave a humorless chuckle at how she had dredged up the things he would never have admitted to himself on his own. _Idiot,_ Edna thought, and she reached for her umbrella.

"Here," she sighed, untying the red string that kept her Phoenix plushie attached to her weapon, and she held the little stuffed doll out to him in one hand. "Take this."

"The doll Phoenix made for you?" Zaveid asked, confused.

"When he gave it to me, he told me to imagine it was him if I was ever lonely, and it would absolve my loneliness," Edna said tonelessly. "I never used it that way, but I did find that whenever I was really angry or upset or…" She struggled with herself for a moment, then confessed, "or _scared_, all I had to do was quickly squeeze it several times, like this." She clenched her fingers around the plushie a few times. "It's really helped me keep my emotions in check. So now, I want you to have it, and whenever you feel like doing something stupid, just look at it and remember that you're honoring a lady's final request…and if you get the urge to do something _really_ stupid, just squeeze it until your stupidity impulse goes away."

"Edna," Zaveid breathed. For once, he seemed to be at a loss for words.

Edna walked up to him, took one of his hands, and pressed the plushie against his palm, using her other hand to close his fingers over it, until she could let go with confidence that he wouldn't let it fall. Cradling the little keepsake in his hand, Zaveid stared at it for a long, heavy moment.

"I…" he rasped, his voice rough, eyes fixed on the doll. "I…I don't…"

Before he could finish his thought, Edna raised her umbrella to point it in his face, letting her lips curl into a scowl. "Don't you _dare_ screw this up," she hissed at him. "Kuksedra will be watching, and if you ruin it, I'll make sure he tells me, and I'll never forgive you!"

Lifting his head to look at her, Zaveid opened his mouth, but didn't speak right away. Something had shifted in his eyes, and Edna brought the point of her umbrella back down to the floor, knowing that he'd finally realized he would probably never see her again, and that this was the last moment he would ever have to say the whole, pure, honest truth.

"…I love you, Edna," he finally said softly.

She rolled her eyes. "I love you too, dummy," she grumbled.

A nasty grin split his face, and he took a step towards her, in response to which she swiftly raised her umbrella and stabbed it into his gut.

"Don't even think about it," she spat.

But as he doubled over, still smiling, that was when it fully occurred to her, too, that she would never see him again. Just as he began to straighten back up, she let herself go for a moment and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, embracing him tightly. He hugged her back, lifting her into the air as he stood, and in his muscular arms, for just a moment, Edna really felt like things would be all right. It felt like being held by her older brother again, the irreplaceable embrace of _family_.

After a minute, she released him. He still held her.

"You can let go now," she told him, pulling back as much as she could with her boots a couple of feet off the ground.

"Aw, c'mon, let me enjoy this a little longer," he teased, grinning up at her.

Edna summoned her best, most wrathful scowl.

"Alright, alright, jeez," he muttered, setting her back down, but instead of tossing her a smile and walking away, his smirk faded, and he got down on one knee to meet her eye level, gazing at her with naked emotion.

"You should get going," Edna told him tonelessly.

"I…" He shook his head. "I don't have to go."

Edna blinked.

"You can stay here, so why can't I?" he said. "It'll be the three of us, as a family, we'll work on getting through to His Royal Darkness together."

"But…" she said softly.

"Hell, why didn't I already think of this?" he went on, and now he was smiling, pressing the plushie back into her hand. "I'd get to spend thousands of years, maybe forever, right here with you - I'll never have to face my sins, and I'll never have to commit any more. It'll just be you and me, baby, and our dear Eizen. Maybe you'll eventually-"

"You have to go," Edna interrupted, forcing the doll back into his palm and stepping out of his gentle grip on her shoulder. "When has taking the easy way out ever gone well for you, or anyone involved? Quit being a coward and go face the world!"

Zaveid recoiled and stood, but his expression was grave. "I swore to your older brother that I would protect you," he said in a low voice, "and I know how this story goes, Edna, I've lived it twice already: There's someone I love, who loves me, and I leave 'em behind thinking it's for their own good, only for them to end up dead or worse as a result. First Theodora, then Dezel…I can't let it happen to you too."

"I'm willingly choosing to stay here for the rest of eternity, and it's not like my fate could get worse than that," Edna pointed out. "Yeah, chances are good that this is goodbye forever, but I'm choosing it of my own will. You still have a life to live, you have someone to love-"

"I love _you_, Edna," Zaveid repeated.

"You love her too," Edna responded dully. "Not in the same way, but still."

"I can't leave your side," Zaveid stated. "I can't…"

If Edna was honest with herself, she didn't want him to leave, either. He _was_ family, and maybe more…but…

With a sigh, Edna turned to the distant sight of their world and took a step forward, twirling her umbrella over her shoulder. "Zaveid," she said softly, "do you remember the old malak taboo, from before Maotelus arose?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah," Zaveid replied, clearly confused by the question. "We malakhim swore we'd never tell humans the truth about malevolence, because it would upend everything they thought they knew and cause chaos."

"Well," Edna said, "we've seen, since then, what happens when humans are faced with an ugly truth that contradicts everything they think they know: They fight it, and there is chaos, but if they have no choice but to accept it, they learn to deal with it." She turned back to Zaveid, meeting his eyes. "What we learned up here has the potential to do far more damage than the truth of malevolence ever did. The earth-dwellers will fight it, with everything they have - not just humans, but seraphim too, maybe even the Five Lords themselves will resist. But they all need to know. And in order to get the message across…" She looked over at where their other comrades were bidding their farewells; Eizen had separated the group at some point, and now he was running back, carrying Stormhowl's hilt. "Everyone going back will need your illusory artes."

"My illusions?" Zaveid repeated.

"The only other proof they're bringing back is the word of the former Lord of Calamity," Edna said tonelessly; "without the word of the Prime Lord, no one will listen to her. But even if that wasn't the case, words won't be enough to convince anyone. You need to _show_ the world what we learned up here, as only you can."

"Someone else could take the oath-" Zaveid began.

"The oath is to never kill, right?" Edna asked, turning back to him. "The problem is, seraphic oaths are give and take, you gain power depending on how great a sacrifice you make…and that wouldn't be a sacrifice to anyone else here. Lucine would never kill anyone because she's Lucine, Sahra would never kill anyone because of all her guilt about her guild turning into a bunch of assassins, and Lailah…even if she can be turned back, she's about as pure and goody-goody as Lucine. It has to be you." She forced a tiny smile. "It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."

Something that was simultaneously a laugh, a sob, and a protest choked out of Zaveid's throat at this, and he shook himself. "Was I always that annoying when I said it?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Heh," he chuckled humorlessly. "Fair enough."

"You have to go," Edna told him seriously. "They need you. The _world_ needs you, and the information you can give them. The faster the transition happens, the less damage will be done, and your displays will make it easier for people to accept what we've learned. And…while you're doing that, build a happy life with Lucine. Please, Zaveid," she added, allowing her voice to soften. "Please, go be happy with Lucine."

"I'll miss you," he told her frankly. "So much. Too much, even."

"Surprisingly, I'll miss you, too," she admitted. "But this is how it has to be. You can't stay, and I won't leave. This is goodbye."

"Edna…" He shook his head, his expression pained; he truly wanted to stay here, even despite everything.

It was then that it finally occurred to her. "Zaveid," Edna asked softly, "how come you've never pushed me away like you have with Lucine?"

"Because you're not like her," he replied readily. "See, Lucine…she's a girl with needs - and not my kinda needs. She needs things I can't give her, things I just don't have. But you don't have any needs, so it doesn't matter what I can or can't give you - you don't need a man to be whole, you're perfect just as you are. A girl like you is the only kinda girl I wouldn't hurt."

Edna blinked, astonished - it was exactly what she'd always wished someone would see about her, the respect that had been exactly why she'd given Isan a chance. "All this time…?" she breathed.

"Of course!" Zaveid grinned. "Why do you think I never gave up on you?"

"I…I thought you were just…being you…" Edna stammered, heat rushing to her face as her eyes began to sting, resisting the urge to reach for the plushie that no longer hung from her umbrella. Shaking her head, she whispered, "How could I have been so blind…?"

"Aw, don't worry about it, babe," Zaveid dismissed; "not giving me any credit just runs in your family."

"Huh?"

"Your older brother never gave me any credit, either," the wind seraph informed her, his smile dimming.

"And that's…why you said it was his fault?" Edna asked.

He nodded; he didn't have to say anything, and clearly he knew that. All this time, he'd always seen her exactly for who she was, and she'd never thought…

"…Well," she sighed, shutting down her emotions, "it doesn't matter now."

"It's not too late," he offered. "If I stay-"

"You _can't_ stay," she stated. "You have to go, Zaveid. And if you have to go, you might as well be with Lucine."

"But I-!"

"She'll be happy with whatever you can give her, regardless of what needs you might think she has," Edna informed the stubborn Prime Lord. "She loves you, you idiot, she'll make do. Besides, you said it yourself, you don't enjoy breaking hearts; don't break hers."

Zaveid jerked, surprised, then laughed. "You little brat!" he teased. "How long have you been spying on me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Edna countered with a smirk.

He laughed again.

Edna let him chuckle for a moment before speaking again. "Go," she told him tonelessly, destroying any trace of mirth he'd managed to muster. "Go be with Lucine, don't ever leave her side. She needs your protection more than I do…and you need her, too. Let yourself love her, and let her love you."

The wind seraph sighed heavily, turning to gaze at their comrades; Eizen had just rejoined the others. "You really want me to be with her," he half-asked.

"I do," Edna confirmed readily. "Go be happy with Lucine. She…" She hesitated, then confessed, "She's what you need, in ways I never could have been."

"She can't save me."

"If anyone can save you, it's her," Edna shrugged. "And even if not, her blessing is good for you. You need someone who can see through you…and even I was never able to do that."

There was no response. Phoenix's doll still hung loosely in Zaveid's fingers, his orange eyes distant.

"Princess Alisha used to love Falkewin Squirrels," Edna said after a moment. "Of course, Lucine isn't Alisha, but maybe she likes them, too. Just in case you needed some ideas for how to make her happy."

"Edna…" Zaveid turned back to her, and she saw the shift in his eyes. "You really…"

"Go," Edna repeated firmly. "Be with Lucine. Stay by her side, protect her, love her, and let her love you. Make her happy, and be happy yourself, Zaveid. This is my last wish."

"I…" The wind seraph sighed, looking back down at the doll in his hand. "I…I don't know if I can," he said softly. "But…But I…" With another deep breath, he grasped the string dangling from the plushie's leg, looped it through the belt around his waist, and tied it there. "I'll try," he told Edna, meeting her eyes again. "I promise I'll try. For you, Edna."

"Good," Edna nodded, and she started walking back over to the others. "Now, it's time for you to get going."

He didn't reply, but his footsteps followed hers.

"I couldn't have done this without your help," Eizen was saying to Sahra and Lucine. He noticed Zaveid joining them and added, "And we couldn't have done this without you either, uncle. I was glad to have you as my Prime Lord."

"Hey, it was great to fight at your side," Zaveid said, his tone uneven.

Eizen frowned, and one glance at Zaveid's expression made it pretty clear why. "Everything okay, uncle Zaveid?" the Shepherd asked.

"No," Zaveid sighed resignedly. "But…"

"Go," Edna told him one more time. She turned her attention to the others. "You guys all ready to leave?"

"I guess so," Sahra shrugged.

"Yes," Lucine agreed, "no sense prolonging this farewell any further."

Almost as though she understood, the dragon that had been Lailah knelt down to grant everyone easier access to her back. Sahra leapt up first, as graceful as any Rangetsu, and she and Zaveid worked together to help, first Niko, then Lucine, climb aboard. Finally, with one last, reluctant glance at Edna, Zaveid hauled himself up to sit just behind Niko, Lucine behind him, Sahra at the rear.

"Goodbye, Edna!" Sahra called. "Goodbye, Eizen, and good luck!"

"You too!" Eizen called, waving to his comrades.

Lucine and Niko also called their goodbyes, while Zaveid just stared at Edna, as though trying to savor every last moment he would get to see her face. She met his eyes with a sad smile and nodded to him, waving her farewells to the others. Then, the white-horned dragon leapt up, beating her wings, until she was flying in the direction of the distant planet. After a minute or two, the monster's figure rippled as she passed through the barrier that sealed the skypulse away from the rest of the world, and as she did so, Edna felt a snapping sensation in her chest, as her vessel's Shepherd's pact, as well as her own Sub Lord pact, were severed.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, and she scowled and turned on the former Shepherd. "You didn't think this one through, baby brother."

"Why not?" Eizen asked, turning to her.

"We don't have access to the flames of purification anymore," she replied, "and without a Prime Lord making you the Shepherd, the blessings of the other Great Lords can't protect you anymore, either."

"That's okay," Eizen said, and despite everything, he smiled. "We don't need the power of purification, or the blessings of the other Great Lords. Kuksedra already said he won't let us turn corrupt while we're here, and as for him…" Her human brother turned to look upwards, as though the stars in the night sky were all Kuksedra's eyes. Maybe, in a way, they were. "Just like my parents, all he has to do is realize what he's become and decide he doesn't want to be that way anymore…and he'll purify himself. And he will someday, Edna, with our help. I know he will." The former Shepherd turned back to face the distant planet. "Someday…he'll end the curse. Humans and seraphim will be able to coexist peacefully…and then…"

"The Heavenly Gate!" Edna gasped.

"Yeah," Eizen sighed. "The realm of the gods and the realm of mortals will be as one…just like Phoenia wants."

"Huh?" Edna blinked, completely lost.

"'Your blood will hear the First Shadow, and all will be clear,'" Eizen recited, still gazing at his distant home. "I think…that was a message from Phoenia. She knew I would hear Kuksedra, hear and understand, and that it would lead to this. And if that was her, then…that means she doesn't hate her brother. I don't think she died to banish him, I think she died to create the Heavenly Gate." He shook his head. "It wasn't hatred that made her do what she did, it was love," he said distantly. "She loved her children, and she wanted all of the mortal world to be sanctified, not just those few humans who would be able to transcend into seraphim."

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden?" Edna asked.

"Well, think about it," Eizen said, still not looking at her. "When Phoenia created humans, she betrayed her own duties…she sinned. And then when she tried to defend them from her brother, she broke his heart. Ending her life to make the Heavenly Gate was the only way she could both atone and save the abominations she'd created - and if she wasn't going to exist anymore, she had to seal her brother away or he'd destroy everything she left behind out of grief, just like he's tried to do anyway. But more than that, somehow I…I think she knew, this was what would happen if she did it…or what _could_ happen…" Another head shake. "I don't know…maybe it's just easier to see everything from so far away, but I feel like…everything in the world has its place. All of this was building up to this moment, when we're on the verge of ending the curse and bringing Heaven and earth together, and…I think that was what Phoenia wanted all along."

"Uh-huh," Edna said slowly. It sounded like a load of mumbo-jumbo to her. "And why didn't you tell everyone this before they left?"

"They couldn't know," he replied, his tone suddenly off, somehow. "For the same reason the First Shadow can't know. A choice to ascend to a higher state of being must be made without the knowledge of what the circumstances are, or what the reward would be. Such is the way of all things wherein mortality and divinity intersect - so it has been with humans reborn as seraphim, so it shall be with mankind becoming worthy of Heaven's union. The choice must be made in virtue, not in greed. But it will come; there is nothing left that can stop it now."

Eizen finally turned to look at Edna, and she was alarmed to see that his golden eyes were completely black, even the whites swallowed by a bottomless darkness that also seemed to radiate with warmth. It was the darkness between the stars on a balmy summer night, the backdrop that allowed the celestial bodies to shine in the heavens.

"Do not despair, Daughter of Earth," Eizen said; "you will be reunited with all those whom you love one day, and you will one day experience all the life you've yet to live."

"Ei…zen…?" Edna breathed, alarmed. In a stroke of panic, she jabbed him with her umbrella. "Baby brother?!"

"Huh?" Eizen blinked and shook his head, and his eyes were human again. "Oh, uh, sorry, big sis," he stammered, running a hand through his tied-back hair, "I guess I kinda spaced out for a second. Um…I don't know why I didn't tell them. I guess I didn't really put all the pieces together until just now."

"…Right," Edna muttered, deciding not to bring up what had just happened, the possibility that the primal deity of Light had just manifested in his body. Instead, she looked at the world that was supposed to one day unite with the realm of the gods, thinking over what she'd been told, not believing what she'd just seen.

_Nothing can stop it now, huh?_ she thought, and she ducked under her umbrella so Eizen wouldn't see her scowl._ Heh…yeah right. It's like Velvet used to say: hope is a waste._

o~X~o

Riding a dragon out of the skypulse wasn't nearly as big of an ordeal as riding one _into_ the skypulse - though the passage through the barrier was distinct, it also felt smooth, like it wanted them gone. Over the course of his many centuries of life, Zaveid had seen things with barbs, sharp points that went in smoothly but refused to come back out; the seal on the skypulse was, in a way, exactly the same, except that entrance was into the world he knew, and exit was into the skypulse itself.

Beyond the malevolent pocket between space and time, Zaveid felt his pacts with Eizen and Edna snap, and he winced as his mount dove towards the clouds. That fundamental break with the Shepherd severed his Sub Lord pacts with Sahra and Lucine, too, leaving him connected only to Maotelus, the flames of purification burning in his chest where more emptiness should have been, a slight twinge that never went away as he was forced to feel. That had been his sacrifice, after all: a bit of his emptiness. Even without a Shepherd, that would stay the way it was…and because of that, with such a final, visceral end to his connection with Edna, he couldn't help but feel a sharp wave of pain, of the loss of yet another loved one he would never see again. Would that never end…?

It was horrifically cold so high up, but they were dropping quickly, and soon, they were among the clouds, where he felt the lightest brushes of wind. Having been separated from the wind for so long, even those faint traces felt like coming home, and his entire being rejoiced as he was reunited with the element that gave him life. All the cold forgotten, he whooped with something that, had he not been hurting and broken, might have been happiness and relief. Soon, they were low enough that they could breathe air again, and the distant ground of Lakehaven Heights rushed up to meet them, a bit further away from Ladylake than the point from which they'd ascended.

Finally, the white-horned dragon's wings beat to slow her descent just in time, and though the landing wasn't nearly as gentle as Zaveid would have liked, the beast's claws settled in the grass of the hillsides. Sahra jumped off immediately, and Zaveid followed suit, turning back to catch Niko, then Lucine, as they dropped down the monster's scaly side.

Once all of her passengers were safely on the ground, the white-horned dragon roared horrifically, and Zaveid instinctively took a few steps back, his companions doing the same. Malevolence poured off of the dragon that had been Lailah in thick sheets; but instead of latching onto him, as another white-horned dragon's malevolence had once done, it seemed to rise straight up before it could infect anything. _Returning to its master, maybe?_ he guessed.

Slowly, the creature's form dissipated, and Zaveid stared. He hadn't given Kuksedra much credit when the dark god had claimed he could turn a dragon back into a seraph without killing it, but the monster didn't appear to be dissolving entirely. A small shape dropped out of the dissipating darkness, and when all the malevolence was gone, there, lying face-down on the grass, was a woman with long, pink-tipped hair and a frilly red dress.

_No._ Cold blossomed in Zaveid's gut as he watched. Seraphim dissolved when they died, so it was silly, but he found himself praying that she wouldn't move.

But like all his many other prayers, this too was ignored. Not even a second after the form of the dragon was gone, Lailah groaned and stirred, her fingers curling against the plant life beneath her palms; then, she raised her head and opened her blue-green eyes. "W…What…?" she croaked.

"Lailah!" Lucine exclaimed, and Sahra ran forward to help her fellow fire seraph up.

"I…I'm me again?" Lailah asked faintly, staring down at herself even as she took Sahra's hands and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

_A dragon turned back into a seraph._

Everything in Zaveid went icy-cold-numb - he would have fallen to his knees if the idea of movement didn't threaten to shatter him completely. _There is a way,_ he thought, horrified. _The dragons I've killed didn't have to die. I could have saved them, and I killed them all instead. Not just Theodora, but Eizen and Mikleo, and Forsea - and hell, even that seraph who turned during the battle of Glaivend Basin! They're all dead, because of me. What have I-?_

"Zaveid?"

A light touch on his forearm caused Zaveid to jump, and he turned to see Lucine's gentle, violet eyes piercing him. _That damn blessing._ She knew, obviously, what he was feeling. Did she know how looking at her made the pain of being Prime Lord ease for him slightly…?

"Don't blame yourself," she told him, her tone warm and soothing. "All the dragons you've seen die, or killed yourself, in the past…you couldn't have done anything else to save them. There was no way you could have known about Kuksedra, not even the Great Lords knew; and even if you _had_ known, there was nothing you could have done to convince him to help you, nothing you could have given him in exchange that wouldn't have just left everyone even worse off. Those dragons you killed are grateful to you for setting them free, I know they are. You saved them, Zaveid; if you hadn't, they would have killed so many people, and destroyed so much of the world, in the centuries they would have endured until now, and even now there's nothing you could do to convince Kuksedra to revive them. They were already dead, and I know they're glad to be free. So please…don't hate yourself. You did the right thing. Always."

"Lucine," he breathed, his seraphic blood pounding as he shifted his arm to take the hand she still had laid against his skin. Her fingers weren't soft, there were little callouses from using her spear here and there, but she herself was truly an angel; her loving heart was the only thing she had in common with the woman he'd lost besides her appearance, he'd noticed, she couldn't be more unlike Theodora apart from that, yet that alone made her too good for this world…and his beloved Edna's final request had been…

Without thinking, he dropped down to one knee, his other hand going to grip her fingers as well, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead as he clung to her, as though he was falling and she was the only thing stopping him from hitting the bottom of the abyss, as though he hadn't already hit it and died long ago. After taking several deep breaths to steady himself, he looked up at her, their eyes locking as he mustered all the strength he had to try to be something more than the scoundrel he knew he really was.

"Lucine," he began, "I've walked this earth for over two thousand years-" _Don't talk about how old you are, you idiot!_ his womanizing instincts screamed at him as he fought the urge to kick himself. "-and in all that time, only once have I ever seen a heart as loving and pure as yours." _Stop comparing her to other people, that doesn't work, you know it doesn't!_ "I know you've only been around me all this time because we were pursuing a goal together, to fight the Lord of Calamity," he plowed on despite the sense that he'd already butchered everything, "but even now that our task is done, I…I don't want this to be goodbye." _Better._ "I want to spend every minute of every day by your side, to see you smile and give you everything it's in my power to give." _Much better._ "Lucine, please…" He lowered his voice. "Will you be my girl?"

Lucine blushed, deeply, but she didn't pull away, and that tiny spark of hope Sorey had forced into the endless void where Zaveid's soul had once been danced ever-so-slightly. A treacherous wind blew and informed Zaveid that the two fire seraphim standing not far away were both shaking with the effort of not bursting out laughing, but he shoved the information aside, all his attention focused on the water seraph who held his fate in her hands.

"Um…well…" she stammered. "Zaveid, that's, um…that's all…very flattering, but…"

Zaveid's gut twisted. _No,_ he prayed to whatever force might care._ No, please, I just lost Edna, don't take this from me too…_

"…well, it's…it's like you said, we…we haven't really spent much time together," Lucine managed at last. "We've only had time to fight the Lord of Calamity, and it's only been a couple of days. Why don't we…spend some time together that actually means something first, and…get to know each other, okay? Can we please…take it slow?"

Something expanded in his hollow chest, and, feeling light, Zaveid rose to his feet; for the first time in his life, a prayer of his had been answered. _That's not a no!_ "Of course," he assured her, shifting his grip to hold her hand in only one of his, gently. "We can do it however you want, and I promise I will spend every moment of every day striving to be worthy of your time."

Though the water seraph blushed even deeper, she smiled at him, and he felt the remains of his heart begin to lift into the sky…

…only to be slammed back down to earth as Sahra and Lailah erupted into loud hysterics.

Scowling, Zaveid tore his eyes away from Lucine to glare at the two fire seraphim who had collapsed to the ground in laughter, hugging each other as they roared with uncontrollable mirth.

"Mind telling us what's so funny?" Zaveid growled at them.

"Lucine, you don't have to be so gentle about it!" Sahra laughed. "Just turn him down cold!"

"Turn him down?" Lucine repeated, and when Zaveid glanced at her, he saw that she was frowning. "Why would I do that?"

Zaveid's breath caught.

"Oh, come _on_!" the younger of the two fire seraphim howled. "Getting down on one knee, the big flowery speech - don't tell me you're really gonna fall for all that crap!"

"Oh, but…" Lucine stammered, her cheeks flushing again. "But…but I…I thought it was really sweet…"

As the two fire seraph women struggled to regain their composure, Zaveid stared at Lucine. Something stirred, the pain from the flames of purification ebbing slightly, and he almost got a faint sense, some distant echo, of maybe, possibly, not being completely dead inside. _Edna said Lucine could save me,_ he remembered; _that Lucine is what I need, in ways Edna herself couldn't be. Could that really be true…?_

"Well," Lailah finally managed, predictably getting ahold of herself first, "you've certainly found the perfect woman for you, Zaveid."

"Yeah," he breathed, almost without meaning to. "Yeah, I have."

Sahra was still snickering, but before the conversation could go any further, a figure beyond Lucine caught Zaveid's eye. Blinking, he focused on the little girl who sat all alone on a nearby hilltop, her white skin stark against her black hair and dress, her face turned to the sky.

Releasing his hold on Lucine's hand, Zaveid walked past the water seraph to his human niece, trying to tread lightly so as not to startle her as he came to stand by her side. Up close, he could see that her copper eyes were shining with tears; her hands clutched the hilt and scabbard of Stormhowl against her chest as she gazed heavenwards.

"Eizen…" she whispered, audible only through the sound that carried on the breeze.

Immediately, Zaveid was reminded of another small girl, also crying, as she too mourned the loss of an older brother by the same name, a brother she too would never see again. Now he would never see that girl again himself; both he and his niece had lost someone precious to them today…loss he was so painfully familiar with.

Sighing heavily, Zaveid sat down beside Niko, and she turned to look at him. He met her gaze steadily.

"He made his choice," he told her, not needing to clarify who he meant. "Look on the bright side - he's alive, he's doing what he was meant to do, and he's not even doing it alone. It could be worse. Much worse." _Same for Edna,_ he reminded himself.

Niko shook her head, shifting her grip on what was left of Stormhowl so she could swipe at her eyes. "Uncle…"

"Come on, kiddo," he told her, though he didn't stand up, not even as Sahra, Lucine, and Lailah came up behind them, "let's go home. Velvet and Rokurou and Celica will be overjoyed to see you purified."

"Dad and Cellie are really alive?" she asked. "They really are?"

"Yup," he confirmed with a nod, cracking a bit of a smile - if there was one thing he was good at, it was breaking up tension with an easygoing grin. _The benefits of not being able to care._ "What, you still don't believe us? Come on down to Ladylake. Your mother's cooking is the toast of the town now, she's got a job cooking at the inn and everything. The whole family will be glad to see you, especially-"

His voice choked off, and he closed his eyes, steeling himself. What he was about to do went against his very essence, and he reminded himself of what Maotelus had told him when it had come to light that being the new Prime Lord would cause Zaveid pain. _"I need you to push through it for now," the Great Lord had said,_ _"but once your job is done and the world is safe, if you really can't take it anymore, just speak my name and break the pact. Please, Zaveid, don't suffer more than you need to."_

"Especially…Maotelus," he managed to grind out.

He shuddered, his whole being almost physically cracking as the Prime Lord pact shattered around him, leaving him feeling dizzy for a moment - first with disorientation, then with relief as the niggling pain in his chest evaporated, and he was empty again, cold and dead save for that tiny spark Sorey had ignited, a spark that wasn't big enough to hurt, to feel. _No more feeling…_

"Zaveid?!" Lucine gasped from where she stood. "Are you okay?!"

"You broke your oath?!" This was Lailah, and he turned to her and forced a grin.

"It was never really mine," he said dismissively; "I was just keeping it warm for ya. Position's all yours, babe."

Though she frowned slightly, Lailah nodded.

Taking a breath to steady himself, Zaveid decided to get it over with and turned around the other way…to face Lucine. Without the flames of purification eating away at the emptiness within him, he expected to react to her the same way he would any other beautiful woman, with maybe a trace amount of pain from her resemblance to Theodora. But, to his surprise, he instead still felt…something, when he looked at her, even without that constant nagging pain for her to ease. What exactly it was, he couldn't say, but it was…_something_. _Maybe Edna was right after all,_ he thought, though it still seemed incredible, even impossible.

Lucine smiled at him. Maybe she knew what he was feeling, possibly even better than he did. After all, it was probably something you needed a soul to understand.

Setting all that aside, Zaveid returned his attention to his human niece. "Come on," he said, pushing himself to his feet, and he held out a hand to the former Lord of Calamity. "Let's get home…and start telling everyone what we know. That was the terms of our release from the skypulse, after all - to tell the world the story of Kuksedra. And it's one hell of a tale."

The girl stared at his hand for a minute…then took it, Stormhowl's hilt pressed between their palms, and let him pull her up, slinging the massive scabbard over her slim shoulder with her free arm - it was much longer than she was tall, and the point bounced against the ground, but she was able to tighten the strap enough that it wouldn't fall. At Zaveid's other side, Lucine approached, and she interlaced her fingers with the fingers of his one free hand. Sahra stood beside her, and Lailah took Niko's other side, both taking the hands free to them. No one said anything more; no one needed to.

Together, the four seraphim and one human child turned towards Ladylake and started walking, ready to begin the long, difficult task of preparing the world for the return of the guardian deity who one day would end the curse that had plagued them all for so long.

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***I know anyone who's been keeping up with this story before now is confused by this name being in place of "Rohan", so let me explain: A little before I posted this chapter, I went back and changed Marlind's Lord of the Land into an OC fire seraph named Isan, for multiple reasons. His appearance and backstory (and true name) are slightly tweaked to fit, but there aren't any real differences in the story overall for it; even the changes to the chapters he appears in - parts 8 and 16 - are relatively minimal, most of his dialogue is exactly the same. No need to go back if you don't care about him.**

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**Stay tuned for the epilogue, folks! In the meantime, here are a few of the images you'd see during the credits: Zaveid conjuring the image of Kuksedra and Phoenia orbiting the globe for a crowd; Velvet in a bed, surrounded by her husband and daughters, as Niko hands her a newborn baby (yes, Rokurou gets his dream of having a child named Magilou - a girl who would look just like him but be just like Velvet, heiress to the Crowe family artes of the kitchen); Lucine cuddling with a whole swarm of Falkewin Squirrels while Zaveid looks on with a smile; Sahra and Lucine overseeing a political meeting/treaty signing between humans and seraphim****; Lailah delightedly watching Arma Dylan perform in Katz Korner at long last (him being there would be established in the Katz Korner sidequest)****; Eizen, Edna, and Kuksedra playing a game together using the fragments of Stormhowl, Eizen and Edna both laughing. There would probably be a few others of Zaveid and Lucine in there too, but I won't spoil anything else on that front here.**

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**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of two dragons, one white, one black, completely intertwined into a heart shape] "A War Between Gods" - Proof of unlocking the secrets behind the curse that has plagued your world and finding a solution; thanks to you, it will one day be broken. Now you can start a new game, try to get the true ending, or aim for completion!**


	27. Epilogue: Let It Go

Though the Five Lords accepted the tale of Kuksedra, having borne witness to the tail end of the battle between the twin gods (though they hadn't understood it at the time), the rest of the world was not receptive to the story Zaveid and company had to tell about the war between primal deities that had led to their existence. As promised, those who had escaped the skypulse all traveled across, not just the continent, but the entire planet, ensuring that every single person heard the story, but it was not a story anyone wanted to hear. Even with Zaveid's illusory artes depicting what he had seen in the skypulse, what he knew, it took a long time for anyone to really and truly listen, just as Edna had predicted. It went against everything humans thought they knew about the world, and Zaveid got the sense that even with Kuksedra right in front of them, there still would have been deniers.

Still, the group didn't stop telling the story - they made it a point to travel around the world and tell the story again and again and again, to everyone, for years, decades. Eventually, all the humans left alive were those who had grown up hearing it, and slowly, it became more and more accepted.

What took significantly less time, if what felt like significantly more effort, was Zaveid's courtship of Lucine. He stayed as devoted to her as he'd vowed, and they traveled around the world telling the story together; every moment, he worked to try to make himself something remotely resembling worthy of her, even though he knew he never could be. She was shy, nervous, carrying hangups from her marriage in her human life, and it took three years of hard work before she finally kissed him. Even from there, things progressed slowly, but Zaveid tried despite himself, and found that he was indeed able to fulfill Edna's last request. Broken and empty as he was, Lucine made him feel alive, in ways he had thought he would never feel again, and he gave her everything he had, glad that he could spend the rest of his life with her.

Then, not even a century after he'd met Lucine, Zaveid felt the Call.

When he woke up in Lucine's arms and felt that disjointed feeling that could only mean he was nearing the end of his life, it was all he could do not to burst out laughing - out of all of life's cruel, sick jokes, this one by far took the cake. Not even a hundred years previously, he would have felt nothing but relief to know that his time was coming to an end, but now, with Lucine, he actually had a reason to go on living, to _want_ to go on living.

Well, two could play at that game, he decided; there was a reason seraphim were given a one-year warning before death, after all.

So, he took an oath, this time to _extend_ his life: he built a house for Lucine by human means, using only human tools and human resources - watching Rokurou build the treehouse for his family had given Zaveid just enough of an idea of how it worked, so he managed to at least cobble together something that didn't fall over - in exchange for being able to live long enough that he and Lucine would have a full two hundred and fifty years together. That was enough time, right? Hell, she'd probably be tired of him by then, and he'd be ready to face his final judgment.

But it wasn't enough time. Rather than drifting apart, Zaveid and Lucine only seemed to get closer with each passing year, and by the time his oath had expired, he wanted to stay with her even more than before. So he took another oath, and cut his hair, letting it grow at a human pace while never letting it get long enough to touch his shoulders, in exchange for another century. When the century passed and they were closer still, he started wearing a jacket - not a shirt, so as not to infringe on his other oath, but as long as he was in a public place, he had to keep himself covered, all in exchange for another fifty years.

On and on it went; the oaths would expire, and Zaveid would make more. He only ever made small oaths, small sacrifices, though not because he wasn't willing to give anything to stay with Lucine. The problem was that making a large oath would just invite another cruel, sick joke - the inevitable end of his relationship with her - and leave him with centuries to live on his own, when he would long for death all the more once she realized she could do better than him. So, he kept them small, giving himself only tiny increments with each passing oath.

One thing he did not do was tell Lucine the truth, that he was supposed to be dead - it would only burden her, he figured, and he didn't want to weigh her down with that knowledge, he lived to see her smile. Instead, he made excuses: he wanted to prove he could take care of her, he was tired of his hair being so unruly, he wanted his body to be a treat reserved for her and her alone, and so on. Luckily, her blessing only allowed her to read his feelings, not his thoughts, and though he knew she knew something was up, he was able to keep his secret as he made bargain after bargain to give himself just a little more time with her, a little more time, a little more time…

At last, a few decades before their one-thousand-year anniversary, Lucine, fed up with his self-loathing, used her blessing to make him see himself through her eyes, and though the man he saw there was not perfect, he was forced to accept that he was not necessarily a villain, that maybe he didn't have to be a scoundrel. That brief moment of 'maybe' sent his heart, which had secretly grown strong on a steady diet of Lucine's love, bursting free of all the smotherings and bindings he had kept it under, and he was alive again. When this miracle took hold, he decided that, once his latest oath expired, he would take a large oath - he didn't _need_ Lucine to live anymore, he loved her deeply but could survive if she left him, and he was finally ready. Still, he decided he'd wait on his big oath until the last minute; a sacrifice that big was one he wouldn't make eagerly.

Then, three days before it was time for him to make his big oath, an oath that would grant him another thousand years of life to double his time with Lucine, he was lying in bed, sound asleep, when an unsettled wind roused him.

Zaveid frowned, refusing to open his eyes, snuggling deeper into the bedding and Lucine's embrace. But the odd wind tugged at him again, teasing the edges of his consciousness with its wrongness.

Groaning, he cracked his eyes, focusing on the wind that had disrupted his sleep. It was…something big, yet something small, something dangerous yet harmless. _What the hell?_

With another groan, Zaveid disentangled himself from Lucine's bare arms and sat up, reaching for his clothes, still half-asleep. Whatever was going on, there was a chance it could be dangerous, and he wouldn't rest easy if there was a potential threat to Lucine lurking nearby.

"Zaveid?" Lucine murmured sleepily, pushing herself up behind him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he grunted, still getting dressed. "I just need to check on something. Go back to sleep, angel; don't you worry about a thing."

"_Zaveid_," she said, rising into a sitting position to embrace him from behind, her head resting against his shoulder.

"Everything's fine, babe," he insisted, forcing a smile as he leaned his head against her sapphire locks of hair, then turned to plant a kiss on her forehead. "I promise, I'll be right back. You just go on back to sleep." He smirked as he strapped on his weapons and added, "If you're still awake when I get back, I might just have to take advantage of the opportunity."

She laughed and hugged him tighter, her fingers skimming across his tattooed chest. Gently, he took her hands and pulled them off of him, turning around to face her. She kissed him gently, and he kissed her back, running a finger down her jaw.

"I love you," she murmured.

"And I love you," he responded, meaning it with every fiber of his being and wondering how he had ever thought he wouldn't be able to.

Then he stood up, grabbed and pulled on his jacket, then went and retrieved his hat and plushie from behind the armchair in the corner - his keepsakes of past family members were always something he kept stowed away when he was intimate with Lucine, not wanting anyone else to intrude. He donned his hat, tied the plushie to his belt, made for the door, and stepped out into the cool night air.

The uneasy wind was stronger out here, yet he still couldn't quite get a good read on what he was sensing. Only a direction was clear, and he made his way into the forest surrounding the one-room house he'd built to share with Lucine in the wilds of the Falkewin Hillside.

All of his senses were on high alert as he lost line of sight with his cabin; something was wrong about this, so very wrong. Pendulums at the ready, he stepped around some trees, carefully navigating the undergrowth, until eventually he found himself in a small clearing, where the wind's trail ended. Moonlight gilded the little opening with silver, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, nothing that could have conjured such a disturbed wind.

"Took you long enough."

A sudden voice caused Zaveid to jump, and he turned around at the sound that was still familiar, even all these centuries later. Hardly able to believe what he was seeing, he watched as a small figure walked into the clearing to join him, carrying an umbrella.

"I was starting to think you'd never show up," Edna grumbled.

"Edna," he gasped, his eyes wide as he drank in the sight of her. "Are you-?"

"I don't have a lot of time," she stated; "to answer your question, no, it's not time for Kuksedra to come back yet, he just gave me a few minutes here so I could pass on a message to you."

"A message?" Zaveid repeated dumbly. "I don't…am I dreaming?"

In response, the tiny earth seraph stomped over to him, raised her umbrella, and speared him in the gut.

"Ow!" he grunted; the familiar pain, pain he'd missed, was as sharp as ever. "Okay, I'm not dreaming."

"Glad we cleared that up," Edna said tonelessly.

"So…the message?" Zaveid asked, straightening.

Blue eyes met his in the light of the night, and he realized she looked incredibly sad. "You need to stop taking oaths," she told him; "if you take even one more oath to extend your life, you'll turn into a dragon."

Zaveid stumbled back, the words piercing him much deeper than any weapon. "Edna…" he gasped. "You…you can't…"

"The fact of the matter is, you should have turned into a dragon centuries ago, you've been so obsessed with staying with Lucine," Edna went on. "But Kuksedra was grateful to you for working so hard to tell everyone his story, and he never takes without giving in return, so he's kept the malevolence away from you all this time. But…well, it _is_ his job to maintain the balance between life and death, and you've extended your life so much, he's decided he's not going to help you anymore."

"But…" Zaveid breathed. "But just…one more…"

"I'm sorry," Edna said, and he could hear the sadness in her voice now. "I know your next oath was going to be a big one, and I tried to convince Kuksedra to let you make it, I really did. He wouldn't hear it. The only thing he would let me do was come down and tell you, so you'd actually know the consequences of the choice you'd make; that much, he agreed, was only fair."

"There must be a way," Zaveid mumbled to himself, desperate. "I…I can't leave Lucine, there has to be something…_something_…"

"There is something Kuksedra offered," Edna shrugged, "but I don't think you'd like it."

"What is it?!" Zaveid demanded, stumbling forward and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Tell me!"

She met his eyes again. "You know how sometimes humans can be reborn as seraphim, but not be the exact same people they were?" she asked. "Kuksedra said that, in theory, he could possibly do the same thing to you, if you let him. There are two ways he can influence the mortal world from within the skypulse: through manipulation of malevolence, or if someone deliberately and intentionally asks him to, like Niko did. So if you pray to him as you die, he can give you a second life, just, remake your soul and body into a new seraph." Her eyes closed. "But there's no telling how much of yourself you would keep over that process. You might not keep your memories, your personality…even in the best-case scenario, you wouldn't be the person you are now."

Releasing her, Zaveid stepped back…and chuckled under his breath. "Now _that_," he said, "is a cruel, sick joke. There was a time when I'd've given anything to be remade as someone else, given a chance to start fresh…but…"

"But there's no guarantee you'd still love Lucine," Edna finished for him. "Even if you did, you wouldn't be the man she loves."

"It'd be cruel to her," Zaveid concluded. "To have the same soul be right there, but not be the same person…she'd spend her whole life trying to get back the person I am now, and I wouldn't be that person, I'd be someone else. She'd suffer…endlessly…" He shook his head.

"So what are you gonna do?" Edna asked. "It's that, turn into a dragon, or die. Which do you choose?"

Zaveid took a long, slow, deep breath, letting it out heavily, before replying. "You know full well what I'm gonna do," he responded.

Edna nodded. "Good," she said. "And, again, I'm sorry. For what it's worth, you did as I asked."

"I didn't do it for you," Zaveid admitted. "I…" He shook his head again. "Damn…I don't want to leave her…"

"She'll be fine," Edna assured him. "Just like she healed you, you healed her, too. But if you want some advice: don't do to her what my older brother did to me."

"Huh?" Zaveid blinked, not following.

"Tell her," Edna told him. "Tell her everything. Explain to her what's going on, the sooner the better."

"But-!" Zaveid exclaimed, his stomach turning. "But she-!"

"Oh, she'll be upset," Edna said tonelessly. "She'll scream and cry and beg you not to go. But at least, once you're gone, she won't be left tormented by unanswerable questions. Why did you go? How could you just die on her without warning her? Didn't you think about how lonely she'd be?" She shrugged. "It'll hurt to lose you, but it'll hurt even more to lose you without knowing why. Trust me."

"You would know," Zaveid admitted with a sigh. "Okay…I'll tell her."

"Good." Edna turned her back, twirling her umbrella…then turned back around again to face him once more, her voice losing its edge as she added, "Speaking of my older brother, when you see him…you'll tell him, won't you? You'll tell him where I am, why I'm going to take so long to see him again…?"

"I'm not so sure I'm going where he is," Zaveid said, "and I'm pretty sure he already knows. But if I do see him, and if he doesn't know, I'll make sure he does." He hesitated, then added, "Do you…that is, should I tell him you won't ever be coming, or that you might show up someday?" It was the only way he could think to ask what was really important.

"Tell him I'll see him again," she replied. "It'll be a long time before I get to come back to the world - another ten thousand years at the _very_ least - but our work isn't pointless. Already, Kuksedra isn't the same bitter ball of evilness he used to be."

"How can you be so sure?" Zaveid questioned, curious.

"He said I had five minutes to pass on this message to you," Edna replied simply; "it's been at least ten."

Zavied chuckled.

"Oh, and one more thing, since I guess I have time," Edna added; "I know you're going to want to make the most of your last three days with Lucine, but could you maybe find some way to pass on a message to Isan? Please tell him that, if he continues to be the Lord of the Land while I'm away, he should live long enough to see me return - apparently, the sentiments of humans play a large part in dictating a seraph's longevity."

"Guess that explains why I was meant to die so soon," Zaveid muttered, thinking back on all the time he'd been taking oaths to shorten his life, not realizing he was shortening it just by making people hate him. "Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes…"

"Yeah," Edna sighed, "so…so tell him that he should live long enough for me to come back…and tell him…tell him I think of him every day and can't wait to be reunited with him."

"I don't have time to tell him myself," Zaveid said, "but I'll tell Lucine while I'm telling her everything else, and I'll have her pass the message on to him."

"That'll have to do," Edna sighed. "Well…goodbye then. Again, I'm sorry."

"You're just the messenger, babe," Zaveid shrugged; "it's hardly your fault. I…I'm just glad I got to talk to ya again."

"Yeah…me too," she said.

Zaveid hesitated, then blurted out, "Listen, if we hadn't met Lucine-"

"I know," Edna told him before he could finish his sentence. "That's why I'm really glad we did. The world wouldn't be at the point it is now without your illusory artes, just like I said…and besides, I couldn't have done for you what she did. But yeah…I know."

"…I love you, Edna," he stated. He had to say it while he had a heart at least once.

"I love you too," she replied dully. "Bye."

Then, suddenly, malevolence poured out of the sky and wrapped around the tiny wind seraph, morphing her into a massive beast.

"Edna?!" Zaveid exclaimed, raising his hands in preparation to cast a seraphic arte, his blood running cold.

The dragon finished taking shape, then turned to him. "Relax, idiot," it said with Edna's toneless voice, "it's temporary. After all, only a dragon can reach the skypulse."

With that, Edna launched herself into the air and flapped her wings, swooping and diving to gain momentum before she swung upwards into the sky. Zaveid watched her silhouette as it slowly faded against the bright white moon, then watched with the wind until she was beyond even his element's reach.

"I'll make sure your messages get where they need to go," he finally said softly. "And if I get a chance to give Eizen his in person, then when you finally come back and get to rest, you'll find him and me waiting to give you a big hug."

For another long minute, he stood there, processing what had to happen now. One hand went to the little plushie dangling from his belt, and he squeezed it a few times, thinking. He had known, deep down, that this day would eventually come, though he hadn't let himself believe it might happen so soon…

With a sigh, he turned away from his house and started running, wanting to get his final affairs in order as quickly as he could - if he was going to leave Lucine, there was one last thing he needed to do. As he ran, as much as it hurt to know he would be leaving Lucine soon, he didn't let himself ignore the other important fact that Edna's visit had brought him: the mission was not pointless. The day would come, really and truly, when Kuksedra would return and take back up his mantle as guardian deity of the world, and put an end to the curse that had plagued them for so very long.

Despite what he had to do, when he eventually went home, the sky just beginning to brighten with pre-dawn light, he didn't only have bad news to deliver to his beloved water seraph, he also had good news, the _best_ news. And it was this that got him through the doorway, as he prepared to say goodbye to the angel that had saved him.

He would never see the world cleansed of the curse, but it would happen. It was only a matter of time.

~THE END~

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**If anyone happens to be annoyed that I glossed over the entirety of Zaveid and Lucine's relationship, don't you worry, I elaborate on it Zestiria-only M-rated fic (Zestiria-only because it doesn't contain any mention of any Berseria characters), "The Wind and the Waves". It is VERY M-rated, mind you, but I mean, it's a love story starring Zaveid, how could it not be? XD Also, the thing he did at the end there about getting his final affairs in order is setting up something in The Wind and the Waves, you don't have to worry about it if you don't care about this relationship. Either way, The Wind and the Waves is up, feel free to look at it if you wish.**

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**As of the rewrite, this is not the final chapter; there is still a true ending to see. But as it would still technically be a post-credits scene, this is still an epilogue. There's just an epi-epilogue after it now.**


	28. Epi-Epilogue: I Know There's a Light

**The rewrite has been done and taken effect! In addition to remaking Sahra into an OC and creating reborn Rose (Aline) as a wind seraph, Lucine has been given a more complete character arc, and earlier interactions with Niko have been altered to better reflect what I'd like them to be. Also, Eizen's design has changed slightly; his Shepherd outfit is black and red, now, not black and gold (more on that in part 5). Major and/or multiple changes have been made to parts 5, 6, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 21; medium and/or multiple small changes have been made to parts 8, 18, 19, 20, 23, and 24; small changes and/or multiple minor tweaks have been made to parts 3, 4, 10, 12, 22, and 25; individual minor tweaks have been made to parts 9, 13, and 26; parts 1, 2, 7, and 27 are entirely unchanged, aside from the removal of some of the footnotes in part 27. The title of the trophy earned in part 9 has been changed to something much better (shoutout to penname RosyMiranto18 for the idea!), and the entirety of the trophy earned in part 14 has also been changed.**

**TL;DR on the changes of this rewrite, if you didn't want to go hunting for the differences:  
1) Sahra is now an OC. Her true name is Vuswos Kakwa, which translates to Sahra of Inner Truth, but she was still human once. Specifically, she was a little girl in Stonebury when Rokurou went around searching for students to pass on the ways of his ancestors to, and she was his best student from day one; she identified the body he disguised as his own when he faked his death, and out of devotion to her fallen master, she founded the Windriders. After her rebirth, she kept an eye on the guild, but was never really involved with them (hence her not being in Dezel's memories); when they disbanded and reformed into the Scattered Bones, she exiled herself to the north in shame for the desecration of her master's teachings. Upon learning that Rokurou is alive, she's upset, and confronts him about their past when Niko sics him on the team; he says that he remembers her, but isn't sorry, and she gets mad; however, when Eizen defeats his father, she realizes that the malevolent creature Rokurou became is an empty husk, not worth killing. After the scene with Rokurou and his family following his purification, she expresses that she was glad she didn't kill him, and looks forward to getting to know the person he really is. Other important notes about Sahra: she has a history with Zaveid, he's hit on her every time they've crossed paths since her rebirth yet never remembers that she's rejected him by the time he sees her again, so he utterly disgusts her; and though she was interested in men in her human life, as of her rebirth as a seraph, she is gay.  
2) Lucine now has a full character arc - instead of Zaveid just losing his temper at Sadie's funeral, he starts yelling, and then she steps up and joins him; after hesitating for a moment, she reveals that she was Alisha in her previous life, not just to the Halloways but to the entire crowd, and ultimately accepts that she should be proud of her human life instead of ashamed. Her condemnation of Donald Halloway holds almost more weight than the Prime Lord's wrath, and Eizen tells Edna to ask Lucine to speak to the royal family of Hyland so the Halloways don't get completely blacklisted and starve on the streets.  
****3) Rose was still reborn as a seraph; she is now a wind seraph named Aline, though she still kept her true name. If this was a game, there would be a whole set of sidequests involving her and Sahra, as Sahra hates Rose for turning the Windriders into the Scattered Bones, but I couldn't figure out how to organically include that side story here; instead, we just meet her in part 11, she's the one who leads everyone out of Pendrago after Eizen gets lost, and everything that used to be important about the plotline of Sahra having been Rose is gone over in brief during that scene. Aline is on a quest to find Arma Dylan for Lailah, who knew that she has been reborn; Edna and Zaveid haven't met Aline before, but Edna knew about her from Lailah. When she learns that Lailah is a dragon, she decides to continue hunting for the armadillo seraph, if only to tell him he once had a huge fan in the former Prime Lord.  
****4) Some things are revealed earlier on in the story than originally: the moment we first see Niko's dragons, Zaveid identifies which is Lailah at a glance, so their identities are known from the start; and between the fight with the rock golems and the fight with Celica at the start of Niko's quest, Niko herself comes down and uses her domain to show Eizen that he's truly helpless as he is, then backs off because she still has hope that she can convince him to join her, expressing her goal to 'teach' him, resulting in him understanding firsthand that he needs to complete the trials of the elemental Great Lords.  
5) There is an added scene with Celica right after Eizen recovers from Edna's Sub Lord pact, before he sets out and gets a Squire. It is cute.  
6) Zaveid is a black sheep among seraphim, and they generally don't like him - after all, he would produce malevolence without the oath he took, and yet he has no intention of ever changing his ways. In particular, he's not welcome in Elysia; he is not banned, per se (obviously, as he was allowed in in Zestiria), but he's not welcome there, and most seraphim don't think very highly of him.  
7) When Kuksedra entreats Zaveid to embrace malevolence, other members of the team actively try to argue against the primal deity's proposition. Just a bit more involvement in that scene than Zaveid and Kuksedra being virtually one-on-one during that exchange.  
8) A minor tweak was made to the words spoken by the decapitated head of General Donovan, to better match the lore behind that event.**

**As for this chapter, this epi-epilogue…I realized some things were left unfinished, some assumptions can still be made that aren't what I'd like them to be. So, I'm writing this as a sort of "true ending" - if this was a game, you'd unlock it by completing the postgame dungeon AND a special sidequest I'd implement involving uncovering the identities of the 13 souls who helped Eizen draw the Sacred Blade and why and how they were able to help him, then defeating Niko a second time; do all that, and this would be the post-credits scene in place of the previous chapter (which would be fine, since you'd have to see the previous chapter's version of the post-credits scene to unlock the postgame dungeon in the first place). But since this isn't a game, you can just read it. Enjoy the end of calamity!**

* * *

"Are you sure about this, baby brother?"

Eizen tore his eyes away from the distant planet to look at Edna. "Yes," he replied, "I'm sure. It's time."

[**I** SHARE **H**EPHSIN **Y**ULIND'S CONCERNS,] Kuksedra said from behind them; the primal deity, too, was looking down on the world, radiating with uncertainty.

"It's time," Eizen repeated firmly. "Go on, Edna."

"If you say so," Edna shrugged. Malevolence wrapped around her, and she transformed into a dragon, though Eizen knew she was allowed to keep her sanity, and the transformation was temporary, as it had been when she'd descended more than ten thousand years ago to tell Zaveid he needed to let go. The dragon took flight and plunged through the barrier around the skypulse, diving for the land below.

While she went, Eizen turned to Kuksedra. "You have nothing to be afraid of," he told the primal deity gently.

[**I**…AM NOT WHO **I** WAS WHEN YOU CAME HERE,] Kuksedra conceded. [**M**UCH HAS CHANGED; YOU HAVE SHOWN ME A NEW LIGHT, A NEW PERSPECTIVE, AND **I** AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THAT. **B**UT IT IS ONE THING TO SAY **I** AM READY TO RETURN TO MY DUTIES WHILE **I** LANGUISH HERE, SEALED AWAY FROM **L**IGHT AND ALL **I**'M MEANT TO DO; IT IS QUITE ANOTHER FOR ME TO RETURN TO THE WORLD AND MAINTAIN MY CONVICTION. **W**HEN **I** FEEL MY SISTER'S **L**IGHT ONCE MORE, **I** MAY WELL RETURN TO MADNESS.]

"You won't," Eizen said confidently. "I wouldn't take that risk. You're not a monster, Kuksedra."

[**I** WAS NOT BORN ONE,] Kuksedra said sadly, [BUT A MONSTER IS EXACTLY WHAT **I** BECAME.]

"Yes," Eizen agreed, "you did. But you've overcome that now. It's time for you to watch over our world again."

Doubt poured off the dark god in waves, but in a way, that just made Eizen all the more confident.

"It's okay to doubt," he told the draconic deity. "If you're doubting yourself, you're not conceited. It's good that you recognize the risks, the fact that things might go wrong, because that means you'll recognize the warning signs and be able to change things before something happens."

[**W**HY DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME, **P**ACT **K**EEPER?] Kuksedra asked. [**W**HY HAVE YOU ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ME, ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT SOMEDAY **I** COULD MAKE UP FOR MY MISDEEDS, MY FALL TO SIN?]

"Because anyone can be corrupted, especially by heartbreak," Eizen replied. "But anyone can be healed, too. You just needed someone to show you the way."

Time being less stable in the skypulse, Edna's return was abrupt, and ended the conversation. As the malevolence released her from her binds, Eizen stepped closer to her.

"Is it done?" he asked.

"Yup," Edna replied. "Maotelus and the other Great Lords are going to combine their strengths to break open the skypulse, and all of humanity is being informed that the big change is coming, so they can add their prayers to the arte. It'll be a while before it happens, though."

"How come?" Eizen asked.

"Because people want to be present to see us return," Edna answered, rolling her eyes. "They want to throw a big welcome party for us, and plenty of families on the far continent have been saving up for generations for the means to travel to the Land of the Gods so they can witness the return of the guardian deity." She shrugged. "It's stupid, but what can you do?"

Eizen laughed, even as a skitter of uncertainty ran down his own spine. It had been so long since he'd been around people; Kuksedra had kept them informed of all the changes that happened in the mortal world over the course of the thousands and thousands of years they'd spent up here with him, even shown them visions of new technology becoming commonplace, new societies being born. But it was one thing to see from afar, and another to become immersed in all that, to return to a world that had grown so much since he'd last set foot there. _No sense being scared,_ he reminded himself. _I knew what I was signing up for when I chose to stay here._

More time passed, while anxiety crackled between the three residents of the skypulse. They passed the time together as they always had, but laughter was strained, smiles were forced. Even Edna seemed nervous.

Then, at last, during another round of the game they'd invented to play with the metal fragments of Stormhowl, Kuksedra looked up from the pieces abruptly, his glowing white eyes fixed on the distant planet. [**I**T IS TIME,] he told them.

Edna leapt to her feet; Eizen scooped up the metal fragments and pocketed them, then ran to the edge of the skypulse just behind her. Kuksedra summoned every piece of him that was him, the primal deity without his wicked creation; his malevolence would stay sealed here forever, but he would soon be free.

As Eizen watched, from the patch of green and brown on the distant planet that he knew was the entire continent of Glenwood, the land known to the rest of the world as the "Land of the Gods", five lights began to shine, big and bright enough to be seen even from so high up: red, blue, yellow, and green surrounding a central white. The domains of the Five Lords expanded, slowly merging; and then, from all five, beams of energy shot into the sky, headed straight for the pocket dimension that the primal deity of darkness had been exiled to. The blast as the combined wills of the Great Lords hit the seal was enough to shake the black crystal Eizen stood on, and he stumbled…and yet, the barrier was not quite penetrated.

"It's not enough?" Eizen gasped, alarmed.

"Give it time," Edna told him, though she sounded far from confident.

Five powers united as one kept assaulting the wall between dimensions, struggling to break through it, but even joined together, it seemed like they wouldn't succeed. Then, far below, all across the distant mortal world, light began to glow and rise from the surface, like wisps of luminescent smoke. It coated the entire world, then was sucked into the beam that shot into the sky, lending it more power. _Prayers,_ Eizen realized. _Everyone's prayers, that the curse will end._

_CRACK!_

A split began to open in the skypulse. Edna transformed into a dragon, and Eizen vaulted onto her back as she took to the air; they dove at the fracture, and Edna speared her claws through and pulled.

_CRASH!_

The wall ripped apart, admitting Edna, Eizen, and most importantly, Kuksedra himself into the mortal world. The primal deity's presence whooshed past the dragon and her rider in a seemingly-endless gust of darkness, and Edna dove for the planet they'd left behind, Eizen clinging to her back.

Immediately, Eizen felt a sensation of cold and jolted - there was no temperature in the skypulse, just as there was no air, no weather, no time or space. It didn't shock his flesh - as far as his body was concerned, no time at all had passed since he'd first entered the skypulse - but to his _mind_, the sensation was invigorating in its near-foreignness. Then there were clouds, then wind, then air in his lungs, and for a minute he just reveled in all the _sensations_ he'd gone without for so many eons. Light didn't burn his eyes, but it was incredible to _see_, to _feel_…

Too soon, the ground came up to meet them, and Edna flapped her wings, slowing her descent to a gentle glide. When Eizen looked down, he saw that she was aiming for a large clearing in the middle of an enormous crowd of people. _People_…There were people here, other people; people he didn't know, but who knew him from the stories that had become legends. They wouldn't see him as a person, but as a mythical hero. But that was something to deal with another day.

Edna landed, and Eizen slid down from her back, hit the ground, and immediately crumpled, eagerly embracing the grass, the dirt, the _softness_ and the _scents_ of the land he stood on, the way he could touch it with the bare fingers of his left hand without it burning him. When Kuksedra's power released Edna for the last time, he knew she was tempted to do the same, to embrace her element, but she had more poise than him, even now.

"Stand up, baby brother," she murmured instead, walking over to him. "You're embarrassing us."

Reluctantly, Eizen took a deep breath and stood. Looking around, there were plenty of eyes on him, but plenty of other people were muttering to each other in alarm, some rubbing their arms as though chilled. It took Eizen a moment, but he realized they were reacting to the presence of Kuksedra - it was familiar to him, even comforting given all the sensations he was surrounded by and had forgotten, but to feel the primal deity imbuing everything was foreign to these people.

Light arose from within the earth, and took the shape of the Dragon of Light - a feeble shadow of what Kuksedra's sister must have once been, Eizen knew, but a welcome sight all the same.

"Eizen," the Great Lord of Purification intoned. "Edna. You have returned at last."

"We have," Eizen nodded, stepping closer to his deific cousin across time. "And Kuksedra is with us. He is here, now, all around us, within everything this world is."

"And the curse?" Maotelus asked. "Is the curse broken?"

Eizen winced, and Edna stepped up.

"It's complicated," she informed Maotelus. "You should probably take that up with His Royal Darkness himself. Hey, Kuksedra, get out here!" she called to the air. "You need to have a talk with your new partner!"

From all around, the land and the sky, darkness came forth; the onlookers surrounding them gasped in alarm, but Eizen just smiled. It was only a tiny, tiny piece of the primal deity that manifested, taking the form of a black dragon no bigger than Maotelus, but that was all he needed to be.

"You are Kuksedra, the primal deity of darkness?" Maotelus asked the entity.

[**I**NDEED,] Kuksedra replied. [**A**ND YOU ARE THE **G**REAT **L**ORD **M**AOTELUS, THE **P**URIFIER, LEADER OF THE **F**IVE **L**ORDS WHO HAVE PASSED AS GODS IN MY ABSENCE.]

"Yes…" Maotelus said slowly. "Yes, I am."

[**I** MUST OFFER YOU MY MOST HUMBLE APOLOGIES,] Kuksedra told the Great Lord. [**F**OR MANY CENTURIES, **I** FOUGHT AGAINST YOU WITH ALL MY POWER; AND FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE THAT, **I** STRUGGLED ALMOST AS MUCH WITH YOUR PREDECESSOR, THE **N**AMELESS **O**NE. **I** HAVE DEDICATED COUNTLESS MILLENNIA TO THE CORRUPTION OF THIS WORLD FROM AFAR, AND SOUGHT TO SMOTHER ALL **L**IGHT, THAT **I** ALONE MAY HOLD DOMINION OVER ALL CREATION. **I**…AM ASHAMED OF THIS, AND WOULD HUMBLY ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS.]

"I know the story," Maotelus responded. "I know it wasn't that simple, and…a lot of bad things happened to you. Now that you've apologized, I forgive you, we all do - just as long as you end this curse on our world now."

Kuksedra dipped his head. [**I** AM AFRAID…THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY POSSIBLE,] he said.

Everyone around them, who had been murmuring grunts of discomfort at having to process the primal deity's words, now gasped in alarm and terror.

"Hear him out!" Eizen shouted over the crowd. "Please, everyone, let him explain before you panic!"

[**M**ANKIND WAS CREATED FLAWED,] Kuksedra said, [AND **I** ALONE CANNOT FIX THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAW IN THEIR DESIGN; WERE MY SISTER STILL LIVING, WE COULD FIX THEM TOGETHER, BUT SHE GAVE HER LIFE LONG AGO. **T**HUS, MALEVOLENCE SHALL ALWAYS BE PRODUCED OF THEIR FALLIBLE FACULTIES. **N**OR CAN **I** UNDO THE CURSE CAST BY THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM - THE **H**EAVENLY **R**EALM IS A POWER HIGH ABOVE ME, AND THOUGH THE CURSE WAS ENACTED BY LESSER BEINGS, THE POWER THEY USED TO DO SO IS ONE **I** AM UNABLE TO OPPOSE.]

"Then…is there nothing that can be done?" Maotelus asked. "We've all worked so hard to create peaceful coexistence, but the curse makes it truly impossible - hellions still spawn, seraphim are still poisoned, and even my power isn't enough to prevent it entirely. We were all counting on you, primal deity Kuksedra."

[**M**Y FRIENDS AND **I** HAVE DISCUSSED THIS PROBLEM,] Kuksedra answered. [**T**HOUGH **I** CANNOT END THE CURSE, NOR CAN **I** PREVENT MALEVOLENCE FROM BEING GENERATED, **I** _AM_ ABLE TO _CHANGE_ THE NATURE OF THE CURSE, AS **I** DID WHEN IT WAS FIRST CAST.]

"Here's what we were thinking," Eizen said, speaking up at last. "Originally, what the seraphim of the Heavenly Realm wanted to do was make it so that anyone too tainted by malevolence would be marked, right? Just marked, not made into a vicious monster capable of destroying entire towns. We could do that, or we could take it a step further."

[**Y**OUR **P**ACT **K**EEPER SUGGESTED THAT HUMANS, LIKE SERAPHIM, WOULD BECOME SICKENED AND WEAKENED BY THEIR OWN MALEVOLENCE, IN ADDITION TO BEING BRANDED,] Kuksedra went on. [**T**HIS, **I** THINK, WOULD MAKE THE MOST SENSE - RATHER THAN BEING ABLE TO GO OUT AND SPREAD THEIR IMPURITY, THOSE WHO FALL TO THEIR OWN FALLIBILITY WILL BE RENDERED UNABLE TO ACT ON IT. **T**HIS BEING THE CASE, HOWEVER, YOUR POWER WILL NOT BE BEST UTILIZED BY PURIFYING EVERY BIT OF CORRUPTION THAT COMES TO BE; IT WOULD PERHAPS BE WISER TO SAVE IT FOR THOSE WHO ASK TO BE CLEANSED, AND LEAVE THOSE UNWILLING TO RELINQUISH THEIR INNER FAILINGS TO BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES.]

"On top of that," Eizen added, "Kuksedra can keep malevolence from spreading to other plants, and animals, and even people, enough to keep them from becoming sick and weak too - he can make it so that the innocent don't suffer from the curse anymore. Only the guilty will fall."

[**M**ALEVOLENCE IS A POISON, AND WILL STILL SICKEN THOSE WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH IT, ESPECIALLY SERAPHIM,] Kuksedra elaborated. [**H**OWEVER, AS GUARDIAN DEITY OF THE VEIL BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, **I** WILL SEE TO IT THAT NO UNDESERVING SOUL SUFFERS AN UNJUST END FROM EXPOSURE TO EXTERNAL MALEVOLENCE.]

"But what all that means is that your role is gonna be pretty redundant," Edna concluded. "Purification won't be so useful when Kuksedra can just undo corruption. It'll just…help the world keep going, help Kuksedra with keeping the spread of malevolence under control. You won't need Prime Lords or Sub Lords anymore, or even Shepherds, not even to heal people who end up under the influence of the curse and ask for help."

[**I**F YOU AND **I** WORK TOGETHER, SALVATION CAN COME TO ANYONE WHO ASKS FOR IT, AT ANY TIME,] Kuksedra confirmed. [**T**HERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR YOUR ACTIVE PRESENCE IN THIS WORLD, FOR ANYONE TO TAKE ON YOUR POWER AND ACT ON YOUR BEHALF. **Y**OU AND THE OTHER **G**REAT **L**ORDS WILL MAINLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE OF NATURE, THE BALANCE BETWEEN **L**IGHT AND **D**ARK; BEYOND THAT, YOU WILL SERVE LITTLE PURPOSE.]

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" Maotelus asked, and, incredibly, he laughed. "A world that doesn't need Shepherds is what I've been fighting for all along! I don't mind taking a more passive role in things." The glowing behemoth bowed his head. "Please, primal deity Kuksedra, this solution you've proposed would benefit all the world, in every way - with this in place, it will only be a matter of time before the Heavenly Gate opens. On behalf of the world, I ask you, please, make it so!"

Shouts of agreement arose from the crowd, deafening Eizen with everyone's elation that at last, a compromise, an end to the nightmare, was in hand.

[**V**ERY WELL!] Kuksedra trumpeted in everyone's minds. [**F**ROM THIS DAY FORTH, LET THE CURSE NO LONGER PLAUGE THIS WORLD!]

An unfathomable power washed over the world, filling everyone and everything and altering the very foundation of the planet's energy; Eizen felt it, and he knew everyone and everything else felt it too, from the people and seraphim all around the globe to the worms in the dirt below their feet; whether they were capable of truly understanding it or not, everything in the world knew that existence itself had been changed by a higher power. Never again would a hellion or dragon ever come to be.

[**I** LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, **G**REAT **L**ORD **M**AOTELUS,] Kuksedra declared.

"And I you," Maotelus replied. "Thank you for saving us, Kuksedra."

[**I**T IS MY SACRED DUTY TO GUARD THIS WORLD AND ITS BALANCE,] Kuksedra replied proudly. [**N**O THANKS ARE NEEDED. **I**NDEED, IT IS **I** WHO THANKS YOU, FOR OFFERING YOUR FORGIVENESS TO THE ONE WHO TRIED FOR SO LONG TO END ALL THAT WAS RIGHT. **I** VOW TO NEVER ACT AGAINST THE WORLD AGAIN.]

The primal deity's manifested presence dispersed, returning to where all of the unknowable rest of him permeated all things; always present, never seen. Maotelus turned to Eizen.

"You've saved us," he told Eizen. "Through your determination and commitment, you've given us a brighter future, the one I could never make reality no matter what I did."

"I…I did what I thought was right," Eizen stammered. "I'm just glad it worked out for everyone."

"The world you knew is gone," Maotelus went on.

"Yeah, I know," Eizen said quickly. "Don't worry, Kuksedra's made sure Edna and I know everything that's gone on while we were away. I know…" He sighed. "I know there's not much left of the world I knew. But I have Edna, and she has me, and we'll figure it out. It was worth it."

"Definitely worth it," Edna agreed.

"I…" Maotelus shifted uncomfortably. "I wish I could help you. But I have to go."

"Go," Eizen smiled. "Start figuring out how you and the other Great Lords and Kuksedra are going to work together."

The Dragon of Light leaned forward, lowering his snout to bump lightly against Eizen's forehead; Eizen felt mana pass over him, and wondered what exactly he'd just been blessed with. The Great Lord did the same to Edna, then dissolved back into the ground, to work with the dark god who had returned to protect them all.

Then they were alone, Eizen and his sister, surrounded by an enormous crowd of people who stared at them with stars in their eyes. Lights flashed, and Eizen knew these were cameras, people capturing an image of this moment so that they could forever prove that they had been here to see this all take place. It was extremely awkward.

A sudden disturbance in the crowd caught Eizen's attention, as two people started forcing their way through the thick wall of bodies that kept Eizen and Edna entrapped. Then, at last, Lucine burst free into the clearing where Eizen and Edna stood, accompanied by Aline, surprisingly enough; they were both beaming as they ran for their old comrades.

"Edna!" Aline cried joyously. "Eizen!"

Not even hesitating, the wind seraph ran to Edna and hugged her. Surprisingly, the earth seraph didn't recoil. Lucine was more reserved, standing back just a step, but beaming all the same as they exchanged greetings.

As the four reunited happily, Eizen relaxed in the presence of more people he knew. The rest of his family had carried on down the line, there were descendants of his parents in this world yet today, but they were so far removed from them that most of them didn't even know they shared his blood; and Zaveid, Lailah, and Sahra had long since died. Aline and Lucine were here, though, and they were familiar, even if Aline was only really familiar to Edna. So little here was familiar…

"Where's Isan?" Edna asked them, sounding disappointed.

"He's still standing as Lord of the Land a little ways south of here," Lucine replied. "He's afraid he might die if he leaves his post, but he's waiting for you, don't you worry."

"Can you take me to him?" Edna asked. "I…I know the land has changed a lot…"

"Of course!" Lucine said brightly. Then she frowned and asked, "You mean now?"

"Yes, now!" Edna snapped. "I've been waiting to see him for over eleven thousand years, I'm not gonna wait any longer!"

"Yeah, you go meet up with Isan, big sis," Eizen said, and he suddenly yawned.

Everyone turned to him.

"I…I haven't slept in over eleven thousand years," Eizen said, realizing it even as he said it. "I'm…tired." His knees started to shake, his head got hot and fuzzy, and he didn't fight the urge to just collapse right there in the grass - it was a lot softer than any surface in the skypulse.

"Are you gonna fall asleep right here?!" Aline laughed.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled.

"Baby brother," Edna began.

"Go meet up with Isan," Aline told the earth seraph. "I'll stay here and make sure Eizen sleeps well. Heck, he's earned it, just like you have."

"Thanks," Edna nodded at the fire seraph, and she and Lucine walked away.

Not even a moment later, Eizen fell at last into a state of unconsciousness, not caring that he was surrounded by people who hailed him as a hero, not caring that he had no real place in this world he'd finally returned to. All he knew was that, at long last, he had fulfilled the promise he'd made to his beloved Sadie at her funeral: the curse, for all intents and purposes was over, and the world was safe at last.

~THE (true) END~

* * *

**Trophy earned for this chapter: [image of a black dragon curled around half the globe, the other half covered by a line of five circles, one red, one blue, one yellow, one green, one white] "The End of Calamity" - Proof that you have witnessed the dawn of a new world, in which hellions and dragons will never be born of Heaven's curse again. Peaceful coexistence, and the union of Heaven and Earth, is now inevitable, as the primal deity has returned to guard the balance at last.**

**Well, here we are! I finally rewrote this tale to better suit what I realized too late it should have been; it took me months and I had to force myself to finish while my brain wanted to move on to other things, but I am proud of this work, even if no one ever sees the effort I put in. In any case, I hope this project was more satisfying for its readers than what Bamco pulled with this universe! At the very least, I hope you feel it was worth your time to read all this; thank you to everyone who has talked with me during the project's progression, and anyone who's chosen to read any of the fics set in this world that I've written (which are all canon for each other unless otherwise stated, remember, all part of this massive project), and to anyone who read the original version of this fic and still decided to read the entire rewrite - I know a lot of it stayed the same, but enough changed that it can be called a rewrite, yes? Either way, thank you, everyone. Cheers to all!**


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